Scottish Conservative Leader Ruth Davidson said yesterday the prospect of a second independence referendum had been “parked in a lay-by”.
The Edinburgh MSP described a “retrenchment” by Nicola Sturgeon in the months since the EU referendum.
Her remarks came as a new poll showed almost no growth in support for independence since June 23.
The Kantar TNS survey of 1,047 adults in Scotland, conducted between August 10 and September 4, asked how they would vote in response to the question ‘should Scotland be an independent country?’ if there was another referendum tomorrow.
Some 47% said they would answer No, compared to 41% for Yes and 12% undecided.
Speaking in London, Ms Davidson said: “I think you have seen a retrenchment from the start of the summer to where we are now, both in terms of language and approach from the Scottish Government.”
She added that rather than publishing her draft referendum bill when the first minister outlined her programme for government last week, Ms Sturgeon decided to leave it “on a shelf”.
Ms Davidson continued: “The SNP’s strategy has always been to make independence feel inevitable – that there is nothing you can do to stop it.
“May’s election result, where the SNP went backwards and lost their majority, punctured that sense of momentum.
“In other words, the unstoppable bandwagon of late June now appears to have been parked in a lay by.
“It’s as if an army battalion has been told to assemble at dawn for a fresh push – only to be told by the generals that it might now be lunchtime, or tea or tomorrow before the attack begins.”
On the question of the Brexit negotiations, Ms Davidson said it was right for Theresa May not to limit her options in advance.
She also unveiled the Scottish Tories’ own “expert group”, separate to Ms Sturgeon’s standing council, to assess the risks and opportunities of Brexit for Scotland.
The SNP’s Michael Russell, minister for UK negotiations on Scotland’s place in Europe, accused Ms Davidson, who campaigned for Remain, of selling-out.
He added: “It is clear the Tories simply cannot be trusted to protect Scotland’s interests.
“Scotland’s Tories are simply acting as a smoke screen for a UK Tory government that cannot answer a single question about what Brexit means.”