The SNP will not have a mandate to hold a second independence referendum even if they win half of all votes cast in Scotland at next week's general election, the Scottish Conservative leader has said.

Ruth Davidson has supported the Prime Minister's decision to reject a formal request from the Scottish Government for a fresh vote on the question earlier this year after a majority of MSPs backed the move.

The SNP say in their manifesto if the party wins at least 30 of Scotland's 59 seats in the election then it will "complete a triple local further reinforcing the democratic mandate" to hold a referendum.

When asked during an interview with STV News if the SNP go on to win 50% of the vote as they did at the last Westminster election would she regard that as a mandate for a fresh poll Davidson replied: "Absolutely not. No."

The Conservative leader was then asked if the party secured a majority of votes would that then constitute a mandate.

Davidson said: "Have you seen the step back she has taken in her manifesto which she [Nicola Sturgeon] has published just today just nine days before the poll?"

"A mandate also includes what you put in your manifesto and it was very different between 2011 and 2016 and it is different again today.

"And I will fight it every step of the way."

The SNP want to hold a second referendum between autumn 2018 and the UK formally leaving the European Union, an event which is expected to take place in March 2019.

Speaking at her party's manifesto launch earlier on Tuesday, Nicola Sturgeon said: "There is too much at stake for Brexit simply to be imposed on Scotland, no matter how damaging it turns out to be. Our future must be decided by us, not for us.

"Last year's Holyrood election delivered the democratic mandate for an independence referendum in the event of Brexit, and the recent vote of the Scottish Parliament underlined that mandate.

"If the SNP wins a majority of Scottish seats in this election, that will further reinforce that mandate. And in these circumstances, any continued Tory attempts to block Scotland having a choice - when the time is right and the options are clear - would be democratically unsustainable."