SPECULATION is rising that Theresa May will today rule out facilitating a second independence referendum - just 24 hours before the SNP spring conference.

Sources have suggested that the Prime Minister is to give a TV interview on Nicola Sturgeon's demand for another poll on Scotland's future this lunchtime. The First Minister is expected to give an interview with the BBC ahead of her party's conference later this afternoon.

Thus far, when asked for a formal response to Ms Sturgeon's call, Mrs May and No 10 have simply said there should not be another referendum.

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If the PM - as her and her ministers' language has pointed to - says today that a second poll in the FM's timeframe of the autumn of 2018 or the spring of 2019 would be divisive and damaging to the UK Government's Brexit negotiations and because of this she will not grant the Scottish Government the parliamentary order to hold a second poll, then there will be a mighty political backlash from the Nationalists, who gather in Aberdeen tomorrow for their conference.

Such a move by Mrs May would raise the stakes hugely in the constitutional battle between the two governments and effectively make the next two to three years a war of attrition between London and Edinburgh.

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Also, having accused Ms Sturgeon of "game-playing" with the constitution, she could expect to face the same charge from the SNP Government.

Earlier this week, David Mundell, speaking to The Herald, gave the strongest signal yet that the UK Government would not sanction another Scottish vote.

The Scottish Secretary suggested it would be unfair to offer Scots a vote based on Brexit given they would not know the full details of the UK deal on withdrawal by Ms Sturgeon's desire timeframe.

"It would be impossible for people in the timescale suggested by Nicola Sturgeon to make a reasoned view and, therefore, have a legal, fair and decisive referendum as we did in 2014 on the basis of the facts as they would be aware of them at that point," he said.

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"If you are saying you want the referendum because of Brexit, then you have to know what the arrangement is that the UK has secured in relation to leaving the EU and how that has been delivered and, of course, you need to know what the SNP alternative to that proposal is," added Mr Mundell.