The SNP and Greens have been accused of being “out of touch with reality” after MSPs debated Scottish independence today while the NHS is in crisis.

The Scottish Government has faced criticism after it used the first Holyrood debate of 2023 to make a fresh demand for a second referendum.

Angus Robertson, the constitution secretary, slammed the UK Government for repeatedly ignoring calls for an IndyRef2 despite the SNP’s 2021 election victory.

He told MSPs the debate was “about who decides Scotland’s future”.

But Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said it was “the wrong choice”.

She said: “This debate is a disappointment but it is not a surprise in terms of the priorities of this SNP/Green Government.

“Look at what has happened over the last few weeks. We have had severe weather and massive pressures on resilience services.

She added: “This is the wrong choice for our first debate this year. We should be focusing on the NHS.

“In the run-up to New Year, doctors on NHS Greater Glasgow pleaded with the health board to declare a major incident, while NHS Grampian issued an appeal for all staff to come in.”

Robertson told MSPs that Westminster was “repeatedly overruling” the will of the Scottish Parliament.

He said: “People in Scotland were promised a new era of respect for devolution and that the UK would operate as a partnership of equals.

“Instead we’ve seen the Westminster government use its Commons majority to repeatedly overrule the Scottish Parliament.

“We’ve seen a series of powergrabs through Westminster legislation, changing and limiting this parliament’s powers again and again without our consent.”

He added: “This is about who decides Scotland’s future – is is the 59 MPs from Scotland, or the 591 from the rest of the UK?

“Is it the Scottish Parliament or the Secretary of State for Scotland? Is it the Prime Minister from a party which hasn’t won an election in Scotland since 1955?

“There is only one answer – the people decide.”

Want to see more SNP fails? – Health Matters