Britain's Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove speaks during a final general election campaign event in London, Britain, December 11, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

LONDON (Reuters) - Another Scottish independence referendum would damage Scotland and the United Kingdom even if Scots have overwhelmingly voted for the nationalists that favor such a poll, British minister Michael Gove said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservatives are set for a landslide majority in Britain’s election, an exit poll showed, but Scots are forecast to have overwhelmingly voted for the Scottish National Party (SNP).

“I don’t believe that another independence referendum is inevitable, quite the opposite,” Gove told ITV.

“I don’t believe that a second independence referendum would be right for Scotland or right for the United Kingdom.”