First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has accused opposition parties of “running scared” of a debate on Scotland’s future.

Ms Sturgeon said they are “running scared” of the facts on independence and the UK’s “abysmal” performance compared to other nations.

On Tuesday, the Scottish Government published a paper comparing the UK with other nations which Ms Sturgeon claimed are “wealthier, fairer and happier” than the UK.

She said: “The Tories and Labour have completely failed to engage with that point because they know it is true and because they can see how threadbare the case for continued Westminster rule over Scotland has become.

“They simply have no answer, so instead of engaging in that debate they prefer to engage in the politics of deflection, talking about issues of process when on the issues of substance the sands are shifting beneath their feet.

“No matter how hard the Westminster parties try and run away from the debate, they cannot dodge reality.

“The people of Scotland have secured a cast-iron democratic mandate to decide their own future – and neither Boris Johnson nor any other UK Prime Minister has the right to block that mandate.”

The Scottish Government are in a constitutional stalemate over a second independence referendum with the UK Government maintaining their opposition to the idea.

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