A bid to "cut out the middle man of a referendum" could be achieved by using an election to deliver a straight mandate for Scottish independence , it has been claimed.

The comments, made by SNP MP Angus MacNeil, follow confirmation that a resolution for debate at the SNP conference in October on an alternative independence plan has been submitted by MacNeil and the party's group leader on Inverclyde Council, Christopher McEleny.

It calls for a vote on independence to take place by autumn 2020, and states that if the UK Government fails to grant a Section 30 order to enable this to happen, voters returning a majority of independence-supporting MSPs or Scottish MPs would give a mandate to the Scottish Government to start independence negotiations.

MacNeil and McEleny suggest that the resolution could act as a way around the next prime minister - with the two candidates for the job, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, both having made clear their opposition to Scotland having another vote on the issue.

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Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme on Monday, MacNeil said that people in Scotland should not "sit back" and accept being told there cannot be another referendum.

And he suggested that holding a referendum may not be necessary to achieve independence.

"We can't really sit back in Scotland and let people like that shout, no way, to us," said Mr MacNeil.

"I mean, if they're going to say no way to that, there's another way round it.

"And if you look over the number of countries that have become independent over the last hundred years, of the 150 that have become independent, only 30 or so actually have taken the route of a referendum.

"So the idea is to use an election, either the Scottish election or the Westminster election, whichever comes first, cut out the middle man of a referendum and just have a straight mandate for independence from the election."

He added: "I think in the SNP we've had a mindset since Alex Salmond decided that a referendum was probably the best way forward, that it only can be a referendum, but most countries that have become independent have become independent without a referendum but have become independent through other ways."

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Scottish Conservative MSP Maurice Golden said that that SNP should focus on the domestic agenda rather than on the constitution.

"I think it's completely irresponsible for the SNP to suggest that you can conflate one issue on an election with tearing apart our precious union," he said.

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"The SNP should be mature and responsible working within the political system we have, both in Holyrood and Westminster."

He added: "I think the SNP should be focusing on the domestic agenda - saving our NHS, improving our education - rather than bringing up constitutional grievance."

A spokeswoman for the SNP said: "There is a cast-iron mandate to give the people of Scotland the option of becoming independent in a referendum before the 2021 election, and the First Minister has made clear she believes this should take place toward the latter half of next year.

"Given the way Scotland's interests have been completely ignored in the Brexit process, and given the increasing likelihood that we will be dragged off the no-deal economic cliff-edge, it's no wonder support for the SNP and for independence is rising."