SNP's Westminster Leader Tells Iain Dale: 'We Have Not Been Campaigning' For Independence

28 April 2019, 15:25 | Updated: 28 April 2019, 15:28

Ian Blackford tells LBC that there's an obligation for the SNP to set out in detail "exactly how an independent Scottish would function" in order to avoid a repeat of Brexit uncertainty.

SNP's leader in Westminster told Iain Dale that there is now a good opportunity to propose a second independence referendum after politicians have focussed on Brexit on so long.

"We're now moving onto the stage where we want to put that proposition of an independence referendum to the people of Scotland," he said.

But Iain pulled him up when he said that re-running the referendum was 'something we have not been campaigning for'.

"We've been getting on with the day job," Mr Blackford said.

Iain replied: "I thought that was the whole point of the SNP."

Mr Blackford said: "Of course the SNP stands for independence and I want to see independence delivered as quickly as possible.

"We had the referendum in 2014, we accepted the result of that, but circumstances have changed."

Iain said: "Hasn't the experience of the Brexit referendum made you at least pause for thought because you'd have a fractured nation split down the middle and then you'd have the task of extricating yourself with not just 40 years of coming together like the EU and Britain, but 300 years.

"Now that's bound to be even more complicated than what's going on with Brexit!"

Mr Blackford replied: "There's a world of difference from what we face with our own referendum in 2014.

"Part of the difficulty is that no-one actually really knew what we were going to get out of Brexit, and you could argue we still don't know that and I think that there's an obligation on us to set out in detail exactly how an independent Scotland would function."

Watch above.