GORDON Brown has hit out at Boris Johnson for being too “afraid” to call the SNP’s bluff and give the go-ahead for a second referendum on Scottish independence.

The former Labour PM has insisted that he was prepared “any time” to defend the Union and has claimed that the Yes argument is weak.

At the Scottish Conservative conference in Aberdeen, Mr Johnson ruled out allowing a referendum to take place while Europe "is being ravished by the most vicious war since 1945".

But SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has suggested that the preparations for a re-run of the 2014 referendum should still continue, despite the situation in Ukraine.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson tells SNP 'now is not the moment' for second independence referendum

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Mr Brown said: “I’ve got no doubt we can win a referendum if there is one, and I’m not afraid of a referendum and don’t spend my time thinking about how we can avoid one.

“But there’s no doubt that’s what the government thinks — that they can’t afford to have a referendum.

“I’m not afraid of fighting a referendum or arguing the case in a referendum. I’m ready any time to put my arguments.”

Asked about the SNP case for independence, Mr Brown said: “It’s almost like if you say something long enough and passionately enough, enough people will believe it, even if it’s not the truth.

“If Scotland became independent, we’d lose about £10 billion to £12 billion a year in the Barnett formula and also, you’d lose the benefit of the UK welfare state, so you’re talking about a very big gap that’s got to be filled.

"But I’ve got no doubt they’ll produce a prospectus where they will try to argue that there’s no fiscal deficit, even although I think it’s roughly 25 per cent at the moment.”

READ MORE: Presiding officer Alison Johnstone won't say if she's received independence referendum bill

A poll last week suggested that 59 per cent of voters wanted to discussions over a new referendum to be paused during the war in Ukraine while the study found support for a No vote was at 52% versus support for Yes at 48%.

Scottish Conservative constitution spokesperson, Donald Cameron, said: “Gordon Brown is wrong in both his analysis and his strategy for tackling the SNP.

“The UK Government do not oppose another divisive independence referendum because they are scared, but because it’s the last thing Scotland needs right now and most people don’t want one.

“On top of the nation being preoccupied with the horrific events in Ukraine, the Scottish people want the SNP government to concentrate on our post-pandemic economic recovery and sorting out the public services that have deteriorated on Nicola Sturgeon’s watch.

“We know that if the SNP lost a second referendum, they would immediately start campaigning for a third one. Gordon Brown should know better than trying to appease them.”

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Show, the SNP Westminster leader appeared to suggest that preparations for IndyRef2 cannot be shelved because of the Ukraine invasion, insisting no-one is suggesting “Putin should determine the timeline for an independence referendum in Scotland”.

Mr Blackford added: “We fought an election last year which the SNP won – we now have an agreement with the Greens, there’s a majority for independence.

“The focus of my attention today is making sure I do what I can to support those who need our protection from Ukraine. But that doesn’t mean that the work in preparing for an independence referendum to make sure the people in Scotland have got that choice (cannot happen).”