11:24

Ruth Davidson has suggested the Tories will never consent to a second Scottish independence referendum until a “gold standard” test of unanimous party backing and support from a very large majority of Scottish voters has been met.

The Scottish Tory leader, speaking to reporters after Theresa May launched the Scottish Conservative manifesto in Edinburgh, defended the manifesto’s stance that no referendum would be agreed without “public consent” and only once the Brexit process was complete.

Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister and leader of the Scottish National party, wants a vote by spring 2019. Davidson and May have implied it would not be until the early 2020s – the timescale that they claim Brexit and new powers for Scotland will need to bed in.

Asked to define public consent by a Daily Mail reporter, May sidestepped the question, arguing only that Brexit was the issue that mattered: “Talking about a second independence referendum right now doesn’t strengthen our hand, it weakens our hand.”

Pressed on this after May’s speech, Davidson said:

The best example we have is back in 2011-12, where we had every member of the Scottish parliament voting for it because we recognised that was a mandate for it to happen. We had 92% support across the country [from opinion polls]. There was public and parliamentary-stroke-political consent there. There was agreement across everyone that this should happen. And that was the gold standard … [I] would be happy to never have a referendum; I’m a unionist and I don’t want one. I have to say we need something a lot more like what we had in 2011-12 before I think the UK government should give its consent. I’m saying that’s the gold standard ... We have seen time and time again there is no public consent for it; people don’t want [to be] dragged back there.

Davidson’s stance relies heavily on opinion polls showing that less than 45% of Scottish voters want a second independence vote until after Brexit, but it is risky. The same polls suggest support will rise once the Brexit deal is signed. The SNP will be working very hard to maximise and highlight every problem with the Brexit talks as it bids to increase public backing for a vote.