SCOTLAND’S First Minister John Swinney said today that he will bring a motion on Scottish independence to Holyrood next week.

The Scottish government has tabled a statement and subsequent debate for Tuesday, entitled “ambitious for Scotland,” which will be the first chance the First Minister has to lay out his vision for the next five years since winning this month’s election.

Despite falling short of the majority he said should be the catalyst for another referendum, Mr Swinney will force a vote of MSPs, which is all but certain to pass as more than 70 members support independence.

His announcement comes after Gillian Mackay – the co-leader of the independence-supporting Scottish Greens – urged Mr Swinney to bring forward a vote on the issue on the first day after he was sworn in as First Minister.

She said: “Scotland has voted for a pro-independence majority, and that mandate does not belong to one party alone.

“Every Green vote was a legitimate vote for independence, for Scotland’s right to choose and for a future where decisions about Scotland are made here, not imposed by Westminster.”