Boris Johnson has written to Nicola Sturgeon to formally reject a second independence referendum.
The SNP had proposed a new vote for October next year.
In his letter, dated today, Mr Johnson wrote he ‘cannot agree’ for the referendum to go ahead.
He added that he had ‘carefully considered’ the proposal of transferring powers but had concluded both countries should ‘work together as partners.’
Mr Johnson wrote: ‘As our country faces unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, I cannot agree that now is the time to return to a question, which was clearly answered by the people of Scotland in 2014.
‘Our shared priorities must be to respond effectively to the global cost-of-living challenge, to support our NHS and public services as they recover from the huge disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to play our leading part in the international response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.
‘These are common challenges across the United Kingdom, which deserve our full attention.’
Ms Sturgeon said the refusal to grant the Scottish Parliament the power to hold a vote could be one of Mr Johnson’s last acts as Prime Minister.
She shared the correspondence on Twitter this evening.
The First Minister wrote: ‘Just received this from Johnson (one of his last acts as PM?).
‘To be clear, Scotland will have the opportunity to choose independence – I hope in a referendum on 19 October 2023 but, if not, through a general election. Scottish democracy will not be a prisoner of this or any PM.’
Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay said the letter came as ‘yet another slap in the face to the people of Scotland, who have repeatedly sent pro-independence majorities to Holyrood and Westminster’.
‘The people will not continue to be held hostage by the most unpopular prime minister in history,’ she said.
‘We will ensure that Scotland’s future is placed firmly in the hands of the people who live here.’
But Labour have argued that the UK under Mr Johnson and Scotland under Ms Sturgeon are ‘two sides of the same coin.’
Constitution spokesperson Sarah Boyack stated: ‘The people of Scotland are being failed by an SNP government at Holyrood that is obsessed with separation and an imploding and corrupt Tory government at Westminster.
‘Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon are two sides of the same coin.
‘Neither the Tories nor the SNP are focused on tackling the cost of living crisis or rebuilding our services from the pandemic, and both are damaging the future of devolution.’
Ms Sturgeon had announced on June 28 she would be writing to the prime minister to update him about the bid for a second independence vote.
The First Minister had added that she would make clear she was ‘ready and willing’ to negotiate the terms of a Section 30 order with Mr Johnson.
If approved, Holyrood would have been granted the power to hold another referendum.
Previous Prime Minister David Cameron had agreed to a Section 30 Order request ahead of 2014’s indyref vote, which saw a temporary transfer of powers to allow for the referendum.
The ‘No’ side won the referendum with 55.3% voting against independence and 44.7% voting in favour.
Many had speculated Mr Johnson would resign tonight in the wake of a huge number of resignations.
He has suffered more resignations in a single day than any prime minister in history, after the Chris Pincher scandal sparked a brutal mass exodus likened to ‘rats fleeing a sinking ship’.
Almost 40 ministers and aides have walked out since Tuesday evening, including two Cabinet ministers, 15 ministers, 17 parliamentary private secretaries, three trade envoys and one vice-chair.
But the Tory leader has claimed leaving Number 10 would not be the ‘responsible’ thing to do, given the challenges facing the country.
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