THE Scottish Greens have joined the SNP in calling for a second independence referendum before the end of next year if Brexit goes ahead as planned.

The party’s co-leader Patrick Harvie said it was “entirely reasonable” for Scotland to hold another vote before the end of the Brexit transition period.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted he will not extend the transition period beyond December 2020 if he is voted back into Number 10. 

Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly called for a fresh referendum to be held in the latter half of next year. 

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon backs down in row over Indyref2 question 

Mr Harvie made the comments as he unveiled the Scottish Greens’ 2019 manifesto in Govan, ahead of the General Election on December 12. 

It outlines plans for a “Green New Deal” to invest in Scotland’s future, tackle the climate emergency and create 200,000 secure jobs north of the Border.

The party is also calling for action to reduce emissions by 80 per cent by 2030, as well as phasing out North Sea oil and gas extraction and ending nuclear power.

Elsewhere, its manifesto backs radical measures such as expanded Universal Basic Income trials, the phasing in of a four-day working week and a long-term aim of free public transport for all. 

The Greens have also pledged to introduce laws to limit pay inequality. This would see a 10 to one pay ratio introduced in the public sector, and a commitment to phase it in for private sector firms too.

Taking the form of a legally-binding Corporate Governance Code, this would limit the total amount paid to CEOs to a fixed multiple of ten times that of their average employee.

The current median CEO pay in a FTSE100 company, including salary, bonus, long-term incentive plan, benefits, and pension contributions, for the financial year ending 2018 was £3.46 million a year.

On independence, the manifesto states: “Before the end of any transition period, we must be able to choose between staying in a post-Brexit Britain or becoming an independent country, able to fully rejoin the EU.”

Asked if the Greens had made a deliberate decision to coordinate with the SNP's preferred timetable, Mr Harvie joked: “Well, sometimes the SNP do accidentally line up with our positions. That’s been known to happen.”

He added: “It’s certainly not coordinated, but I think it is entirely rational. Scotland didn’t vote for Brexit. 

“Scotland certainly didn’t vote – along with nobody in the UK – for a hard Brexit cliff edge that’s been promised by Boris Johnson, outside of the single market, outside of the customs union.”

Mr Harvie stressed the Scottish Greens believe Brexit can still be stopped.

But he said: “If it isn’t stopped, it’s perfectly reasonable to say that on that timescale, that transition timescale, when every other country in Europe has a say on our future, when the UK has a say on our future, Scotland should also have a say on its own future. 

“If Scotland was to vote for independence within that timescale, then you have the option of ensuring that our transition to EU membership as an independent country can be smooth.

“I think it would be a mistake to leave it till after that transition period had ended. So it’s an entirely reasonable ask.

READ MORE: MPs set to sit two days before Christmas to vote on Boris Johnson's Brexit deal - if he wins power 

"I do think, however, and I want to stress this – Brexit can be stopped, should be stopped and we absolutely commit to ensuring that Green voices will advocate for the public to have a final say on any withdrawal agreement that any UK government brought forward.”

The Scottish Greens are standing in 22 seats across Scotland, up from just three in 2017.

The party has previously failed to win any MPs at Westminster elections.