NO money has been set aside for a second independence referendum this year, despite Nicola Sturgeon saying she remains hopeful of holding it.

The newly published Scottish budget for 2020/21 mentions preparations for Indyref2, but fails to allocate any funds to it.

Public finance minister Kate Forbes, delivering the budget after the resignation of Derek Mackay, also said there was no spare money left over.

She said: “This is a budget that fully allocates the resources at our disposal.”

The 2014 referendum cost £15.8m to organised and hold.

However the entire budget of the Government Business and Constitutional Relations budget for the coming financial year is £16.1m.

This includes £2.1m for local government elections and 1m for Scottish parliament elections, but nothing for another vote on the constitution.

The text says one of the portfolio’s policy goals will be to “develop and disseminate detailed information on the case for independence and continue to prepare for a referendum which would give Scotland the opportunity to choose its constitutional future, as demanded in the December 2019 election and at previous polls”.

Ms Sturgeon has said she wants to hold Indyref2 in the latter half of the year, based on a legal agreement with the UK Government.

However Borish Johnson has refused to give Holyrood the power to hold it.

Ms Sturgeon last week insisted it was “perfectly realistic” to hold Indyref2 this year, but admitted it might be later.