Press release: Take Indyref threat off table & work with us on Brexit

He also urged the Scottish Government to concentrate on working with the UK Government on securing a good Brexit deal.

Mr Mundell will be responding on behalf of the UK Government later today [13 November] to a Westminster Hall debate in the UK Parliament which will debate two petitions on a second independence referendum. More than 220,000 people have signed a petition against a second independence referendum, and fewer than 40,000 have signed one in favour.

Speaking ahead of the Parliamentary debate today, Mr Mundell said:

Scotland had a fair, legal and decisive referendum on Scottish Independence in 2014 and the people of Scotland rejected independence. The Scottish Government must move on. They must respect the referendum result, and take the threat of a second independence referendum off the table once and for all.

This is not the time to take Scotland back to the constitutional arguments of the past, it is time to concentrate on improving the lives of people in Scotland. I urge the Scottish Government to get on with the day job of tackling the real problems in Scotland’s economy, health services and education.

People in Scotland rightly expect their two governments to work together. I hope the Scottish Government will work constructively with us on Brexit; on getting a deal which works for Scotland and the whole of the UK, and finding the best way of bringing back powers from the EU.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

1. For further information contact the Scotland Office press office on 0131 244 9028.

2. The e-petitions being debated today are as follows: * Petition number 180642: “Another Scottish independence referendum should not be allowed to happen”: 221,514 signatures. * Petition number 168781: “Agree to a second referendum on Scottish Independence”: 38,515 signatures.