Ian Blackford, the Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader, warned Boris Johnson he would not be able to “continue to say no” to the SNP’s demands for a second Scottish independence referendum. He said it was only a matter of time before Mr Johnson buckled to demands and Scottish citizens would be right behind Nicola Sturgeon’s party.

Mr Blackford told The National: “Boris Johnson can’t and will not be able to continue to say no. He knows it, we know it.

“That is why the First Minister has signalled our intention to establish a constitutional convention.

“We will provide the necessary leadership. We will allow momentum to develop.

“Let us stand together, deepen and broaden our support.”

The Prime Minister has so far refused to cave to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s demands for a referendum on Scottish independence, telling her the previous 2014 vote must be respected.

He has pledged to “never give up on our incredible Union” in a direct warning to Ms Sturgeon.

But Mr Blackford said the SNP would be putting “all our efforts” into ensuring an independence vote is held by the end of this year.

But he warned, if this was not possible, SNP would opt for Plan B in next year’s Holyrood election.

He added: “If we cannot achieve it this year, and all our efforts are going to be on making sure that is the case, but if we don’t do it, then this is the backdrop to the 2021 election.”

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Mr Blackford insisted there was “recognition that an independent Scotland in Europe becomes a destination”.

He added: “I am having conversation after conversation with those who have moved from No to Yes. There is a recognition that an independent Scotland in Europe becomes a destination.

“We can rescue Scotland from the isolation that the Tories in Westminster want to consign us to.

“Momentum is with us. Let us not forget the Tories lost more than half their seats in Scotland at the Westminster election on their campaign message of say no to indyref2.

But earlier this year, Mr Johnson wrote a letter to Ms Sturgeon saying he had “carefully considered” the case she had put forward but told the Scottish leader she and her predecessor Alex Salmond had made a “personal promise” to honour the “once in a generation” 2014 vote.

He said: “The UK government will continue to uphold the democratic decision of the Scottish people and the promise that you made to them. For that reason I cannot agree to any request for a transfer of power that would lead to further independence referendums.

“Another independence referendum would continue the political stagnation that Scotland has seen for the last decade, with Scottish schools, hospitals and jobs again left behind because of a campaign to separate the UK.

“It is time that we all worked to bring the whole of the United Kingdom together and unleash the potential of this great country.”

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