A TORY leaflet has been mocked by independence supporters after it said an SNP majority at the Holyrood elections will lead to indyref2.

The flyer, which was sent to households across Scotland, does not mention Boris Johnson stopping a referendum.

It says: "The SNP will hold another independence referendum in the next Parliament if they win a majority at May's election.

"But their referendum can be stopped, if the SNP don't get that majority of seats.

"The Scottish Conservatives are the only party able to prevent the SNP winning a majority."

The National:

The leaflet contains a bar chart showing how many seats each party held in 2016: 31 for the Tories, 24 for Labour, six for the Greens and five for the LibDems. It does not mention the SNP but they had 63 seats. Beside the graph it says "Conservatives are the only opposition party in Scotland."

The flyer, which is signed by Scottish Tory co-leaders Douglas Ross and Ruth Davidson, mentions the SNP 12 times and the Scottish Tories only eight.

A Scottish Conservatives spokesman said: “The SNP are pushing for indyref2 as early as this year, and they’ve made it clear that they will seek to hold an illegal, wildcat referendum if they win a majority in May.”

SNP Depute Leader Keith Brown told The National: "Scotland will choose it's own future –not Boris Johnson or Michael Gove. 

"The Tories are clearly rattled and their Trump-like attempts to block democracy won't last. 

"Another pro-independence majority at Holyrood in May will confirm Scottish voters want to have their say on a better future in a post-pandemic referendum. 

"The longer Boris Johnson stands in the way of that the more support for independence will grow." 

The leaflet goes on to say that Labour "won't block the SNP", referencing headlines that said Labour leadership candiates Monica Lennon and Anas Sarwar rejected calls for a "Unionist coalition" with the Tories.

The current Scottish Labour position is that a new referendum should not be held until at least 2026.

Sarwar, who is currently the frontrunner in the Scottish Labour leadership contest, is a hardline Unionist and has rejected indyref2 calls.

But last week Lennon said her party must accept indyref2 if pro-independence parties win a majority at the Holyrood elections.

READ MORE: Monica Lennon says support for Yes could increase if Scottish Labour deny indyref2

The National:

SNP politicians hit out at the flyer on Twitter.

Patricia Gibson, who represents North Ayrshire and Arran, said: "New leaflets from @Conservatives telling voters that if you vote for @theSNP in May there will be an independence referendum. Thanks for all your help in getting our message out there. And special thanks also to @BorisJohnson for all his ongoing help for our cause."

Paul McLellan, an SNP councillor for Dunbar, pointed out that the leaflet contained no policies, saying: "Scottish Tories - the SNP are obsessed with Independence !!

"The Tories latest leaflet !!!

"Policies = 0, SNP mentions = 12, Referendum mentions = 8, Prevent an SNP majority = 4, Stop Indy Ref 2 = 4"

NHS for Yes said: "You may ask yourself:

• Where are the policies on Education?

• What are their views on NHS funding?

• Why is there nothing on employment?

• When will pensions rise in line with others?

• Who is even behind this election leaflet?

This is all the Conservative & Unionist Party have to offer."

The National:

Tackling the rise in support for Scottish independence has been a growing challenge for Johnson. With more than 20 polls recording majority support for independence, he’s made it clear he does not want to go down in history as the Prime Minister who presided over the break up of the UK, and has insisted that Scots don't want a new vote.

In their plan for indyref2, the SNP are set to tell the Prime Minister that he’ll need to take legal action if he wants to stop Scots voters having their say on the constitution.

REVEALED: SNP unveils plan to hold indyref2 – even if Boris Johnson says no

There is debate over whether Scotland has the power to hold a vote on independence.

Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998 reserves the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England to Westminster.

While this has been widely interpreted to mean that Holyrood does not have the competence to hold indyref2, it has not, until recently, been challenged in the courts.

However, a Section 30 order allows the Scotland Act to be amended to explicitly give the Scottish Parliament the power to hold the vote.

That’s what happened in 2014.

If pro-independence parties win the majority of seats in May – and almost every poll suggests they will – the SNP will “again request a Section 30 order from the UK Government believing and publicly contending that in such circumstances there could be no moral or democratic justification for denying that request”.

An appeal in the People’s Action on Section 30 will be heard on April 6, before the Scottish Parliamentary election after independence campaigner Martin Keatings requested a declarator from the court that the Scottish Government has the power to hold a vote without “consent” from Westminster.

Lady Carmichael dismissed the case after a two-day hearing last month, ruling it was “premature” and the question of another indyref was “also hypothetical, and may never come to pass”.

READ MORE: Appeal on Section 30 case over indyref2 will be held in first week of April

Earlier this week Douglas Ross admitted there have been "troubles and difficulties" in No 10's Union Unit after two key advisers quit in a fortnight.

WATCH: Douglas Ross admits there are 'difficulties' in No 10's Union Unit

Oliver Lewis, a veteran of the Vote Leave Brexit campaign, left on Friday and is reported to have said his position was made “untenable” by others within Number 10.

He had replaced former Scottish MP Luke Graham as head of the unit earlier in February, who lasted less than a year in the job.