LESS than four and a half years ago, Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Now the SNP are just as determined as ever to tear apart our long-standing union and continue to divide our country further by persistently teasing a second independence referendum.

It is clear that the vast majority of Scottish voters have absolutely no appetite for IndyRef 2 and simply want the Scottish Government and SNP ministers to give it a rest and get back to the day job.

The SNP’s never-ending grievance and failure to tackle devolved issues such as health and education has done nothing to increase support.

Still, they relentlessly focus on the same tired arguments that lost them the referendum, but have yet to address them or provide any meaningful alternatives.

We seem to be going round in circles with conspiracy theories about oil, Westminster and the BBC, but they are still no further forward with explaining what currency an independent Scotland would use or how they would tackle the £13 billion pound annual deficit.

When Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom back in 2014, everyone thought that their decisions would be respected.

Less than two years later, on the 23rd June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union and with that, Nicola Sturgeon had found a new argument to cause further division and uncertainty in Scotland and shamelessly put independence back on the table within hours of the decisive vote, despite having said that a referendum was a once in a generation decision.

Since then, the SNP has used every opportunity, at both Holyrood and Westminster, to frustrate Brexit and manufacture fear and uncertainty throughout Scotland.

Business and consumer confidence is at a new low and the SNP-minority government has continuously failed to address key concerns.

Instead, they have hit hardworking families with further unwanted income tax and council tax increases, together with the threat of introducing the tourist tax and the workplace parking levy.

All of this will further dent confidence, fail to encourage any meaningful investment and inevitably hit us all hard in the pocket.

I would urge the SNP to take independence off the table, and instead concentrate on fixing our economy, our health service, our transport infrastructure and our education system.

Ruth Davidson and the Scottish Conservatives are working hard in the wings and come 2021, the people of Scotland will have the opportunity to vote-in a first minister and government that will finally prioritise the issues that really matter for Scotland.