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Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a referendum would "continue the political stagnation Scotland has seen for the past decade".
And he said First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had previously pledged that the 2014 referendum would be a "once in a generation" vote.
Ms Sturgeon tweeted that the Tories were attempting to "deny democracy".
She said Mr Johnson's formal refusal of her request for a referendum to be held later this year was "predictable but also unsustainable and self defeating", and insisted that "Scotland will have the right to choose".
The first minister also said the Scottish government would set out its response and "next steps" before the end of the month, and that the devolved Scottish Parliament would again be asked to "back Scotland's right to choose our own future". [...]
In his written response to Ms Sturgeon, the prime minister said he had "carefully considered and noted" her arguments.
But he said: "You and your predecessor (Alex Salmond) made a personal promise that the 2014 independence referendum was a "once in a generation" vote.
"The people of Scotland voted decisively on that promise to keep our United Kingdom together, a result which both the Scottish and UK governments committed to respect in the Edinburgh Agreement." [...]