THE European election result in Scotland does not give the SNP a mandate for a second Scottish independence referendum, according to a local Conservative MSP.

Maurice Corry, who represents the West of Scotland region at Holyrood, said the result of the European Parliament vote last week came as "little surprise" and insisted the result of the 2016 referendum on EU membership "should have been honoured by now".

In Argyll and Bute the Conservatives finished in a distant fourth place with 3,985 votes – 13 per cent of the total, and 5.9 per cent down on their performance in the last European election in 2014 – behind the SNP, the Brexit Party and the Liberal Democrats.

READ MORE: Argyll and Bute's European election result in full

Mr Corry, who lives in Helensburgh and formerly represented the Lomond North ward on Argyll and Bute Council, said: “Having had the biggest democratic vote in our history, for which the result should have been honoured by now, the result comes as little surprise.

“The Scottish Conservatives have managed to retain their seat here [in Scotland], while Labour have disappeared.

“Whilst Parliament has been unable to agree a withdrawal bill, the Conservative Party has been trying to get a deal through with opposition parties voting against everything."

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Across Scotland the Conservatives' vote fell by 5.6 per cent on its 2014 level, with its 11.6 per cent vote share seeing just one Conservative MEP, Nosheena Mobarik, elected to represent Scotland.

Mr Corry continued: “Nicola Sturgeon seems to think just over a third of votes in Scotland on a low turnout gives her a mandate for another independence referendum, which it does not.

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“It was the smallest number of votes the SNP have received at an election.

“The country needs to settle and focus on public services, which under the SNP have been in decline.”

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The Argyll and Bute turnout of 46.8 per cent was one of the highest in Scotland, behind only Edinburgh, East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire.