FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has formally requested the power to hold a second Scottish independence referendum and stated there is “no rational reason” for PM Theresa May to block it.

Ms Sturgeon’s letter to officially request a Section 30 order — which will grant Holyrood the power to hold a vote — was received by Westminster yesterday.

MSPs voted this week 69 to 59 in favour of seeking permission for a referendum to take place no later than spring 2019.

Even though Scottish Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats voted against a second referendum, the SNP was able to pass the vote with the help of the Scottish Greens.

In the letter sent to the Prime Minister, Ms Sturgeon wrote: “There appears to be no rational reason for you to stand in the way of the will of the Scottish Parliament and I hope you will not do so.”

If Ms May refuses it, the First Minister pledged to return to the Scottish Parliament with a plan on how to “move forward” based on information about what deal Britain would get from the EU.

A government spokeswoman said that Ms May “has been clear that now is not the time for a second independence referendum” and that Westminster would not consider negotiations about it.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale warned that people across Scotland will be “dismayed” that Ms Sturgeon is focusing on a second referendum instead of focusing on “jobs, growing the economy and helping family incomes.”

She said there was “absolutely no evidence that another divisive referendum is the will of the people of Scotland.”