SCOTTISH Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has insisted his party will oppose a second independence referendum "every step of the way". 

Mr Rennie said the "power is in the hands of the people" to bring an end to talk of another vote at next year's Holyrood election.

But he repeatedly refused to be drawn on whether the SNP would have a mandate for a second referendum if the party secures a majority in 2021. 

Mr Rennie said: "We are not in favour of another independence referendum. We'll be arguing every step of the way to make sure that that doesn't happen. 

"We will not vote for it in the next Parliament. No matter how many MSPs we've got, all of them will be committed to voting against it.

"We don't believe there should be one and we won't argue for one."

The North East Fife MSP was speaking to journalists during the Liberal Democrats' autumn conference, which is taking place online due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Last year he said an independence referendum should be blocked even if the SNP and Greens win a majority at the Holyrood election. 

However he has now refused to be drawn on whether a pro-independence majority would constitute a mandate for another vote.

Asked if he accepted the SNP would have a mandate if the party secures a majority, he said: "If people want to make sure that we don't plunge ourselves into more years-long debate about these issues, the easy way to do it is just to not support parties who are in favour of another independence referendum. 

"That's the best way of doing it, and it can avoid all these debates and discussions about whether there's a right to have another referendum 

"We can just stop it dead right there and then. And that's what we're arguing for. 

"Let's not get into that space. Let's focus on the pandemic."

He added: "If we go back to the bad old days of division on the constitution, I just don't think we're going to make the progress that we've had to try and make over the last six months."

Pushed again on whether he would accept the SNP had a mandate, Mr Rennie said: "We won't support it, and we've made that clear before."

He said the line of questioning "makes it a foregone conclusion", adding: "We actually need to debate the substance of these things now, to try and get into the guts of it.

"If you just miss that part of the discussion out altogether, you're into exactly the territory that the SNP want, which is a whole load of grievance. 

"What we need to focus on is whether – that's the big challenge.

"I just don't think we're spending enough time on discussing and debating the detail of this, and the impact that would have on our society. 

"We've had 10 years of this stuff. I just don't think people are up to doing more of it."

He later said: "The power is in the hands of the people. They can bring an end to that discussion at next year's ballot box."

He added: "The power is in the hands of the voters now. And it depends on exactly how the campaign is run as well. But the power is in the hands of the voters. 

"But at the end of the day, we do not believe it's the right thing to do and therefore we will not support it, and I couldn't be more clear about that."