No second Scottish vote: May spokesman

British Prime Minister Theresa May does not believe there should be a second Scottish independence referendum, her spokesman said after the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said such a vote could be held in autumn 2018.

Sturgeon said that would be a "common sense time" for Scotland, which voted to remain in the United Kingdom in 2014, to hold another independence referendum as by then there would be some outline of a Brexit deal.

"We are very clear we don't believe there should be a second referendum," May's spokesman told reporters when asked about the comments on Thursday.

"The referendum was held only in 2014. It was a fair, decisive and legal vote, both sides agreed to abide by that and we think that both sides should and that the continued discussion around a second referendum is a distraction."