Beleaguered Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told Scotland's first minister that now is not the time to hold a second independence referendum.
Last week, Nicola Sturgeon wrote to Mr Johnson saying she was ready for talks to negotiate the powers to hold the vote.
On Wednesday afternoon, it emerged that the prime minister had said in his reply: "I have carefully considered the arguments you set out for a transfer of power from the UK parliament to the Scottish parliament to hold another referendum on independence.
"As our country faces unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, I cannot agree that now is the time to return to a question which was clearly answered by the people of Scotland in 2014."
Before the Scottish Parliament went into summer recess last week, Ms Sturgeon addressed MSPs proposing 19 October 2023 as the date for another referendum on independence.
However, in order to hold a legal referendum Scotland requires special powers to be granted by Westminster.
Mr Johnson's letter, dated 6 July, makes clear that this will not happen under his leadership.
Ms Sturgeon tweeted her response, saying: "Just received this from Johnson (one of his last acts as PM?).
"To be clear, Scotland will have the opportunity to choose independence - I hope in a referendum on 19 October 2023 but, if not, through a general election. Scottish democracy will not be a prisoner of this or any PM."
Last week, Ms Sturgeon set herself on a collision course with Downing Street by asking the supreme court to rule on the legality of holding a new referendum on Scottish independence without Westminster’s permission.
In an attempt to force the issue, Scotland’s first minister said the lord advocate, Dorothy Bain QC, had written to the supreme court in London at her request, asking it to establish whether the Scottish government had the necessary legal powers to stage a consultative referendum on its own.