The UK Government are threatening to rip up a key commitment in the Smith Commission by threatening to block an independence referendum, the SNP has said.

SNP MSP, and representative on the Smith Commission, Linda Fabiani has now written to Scottish Secretary Alister Jack demanding the UK government reaffirm their commitment to the agreement.

The cross-party agreement followed a 2014 vow to deliver more powers to the Scottish Parliament.

In agreeing the Commission’s proposals, every party signed-up to the principle that the people of Scotland could choose independence.

The Commission agreed that “nothing in this report prevents Scotland becoming an independent country in the future should the people of Scotland so choose”.

In December’s General Election the Tories argued that the “Union was on the ballot” – and went on to lose more than half of their MPs.

Writing to Jack, Linda Fabiani said: “A key principle, agreed by all five parties on the Smith Commission, is that people in Scotland have the democratic right to choose independence.

“This commitment is in black-and-white in the document agreed by your party and your government.

“Comments by yourself, and by other representatives of the UK government, suggest that you have now abandoned this key tenet of the Smith Commission.

“This would be a gross betrayal of the promises made to the Scottish people both during and after the 2014 independence referendum.”