SNP MP calls for Nicola Sturgeon to '˜trigger the gun' on IndyRef2

Campaigners for IndyRef2 on the streets of Glasgow in July 2018. Picture: John Devlin

Angus MacNeil called for a second referendum on independence to be held in summer or early autumn during an appearence on Alex Salmond’s RT chat show.

The MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar said his party was placing too much emphasis on a People’s Vote, which would see the UK vote for a second time on EU membership.

Mr MacNeil said: “The Scottish people have waited long enough. We’ve been quite patient during the two-and-a-half-year comedy at Westminster. We have to move on.”

Scottish independence must be achieved calmly and legally '“ Joyce McMillan

The former first minister asked whether Nationalists should “seize the moment”. The MP replied: “Absolutely. She has to identify the window, then identify the process and then get the specifics on the date. She doesn’t have to name the date today but she has to trigger the gun that it’s going to happen in a specific window.”

He added: “I would advise summer, early autumn 2019, this year, for a referendum. In a month or two’s time she could name the date.”

Earlier this week Nicola Sturgeon suggested details of the timetable for a second Scottish independence referendum would be revealed within “weeks”.

On a visit to Westminster she said: “I’ll say more about the timing of a referendum in the next matter of weeks.

“I want to see the UK stay in the EU, I think that would be best for the whole of the UK... even when Scotland is independent, that serves our interests best as well. That’s why we’re backing the People’s Vote, the second EU referendum.

“But if that’s not possible, in terms of our wider interests, the chaos and the fiasco of the last couple of years have shown that the worst thing for Scotland is to be thirled to Westminster when it’s making such a mess of things. We’d be far better off in charge of our own affairs.”