“There are a whole range of issues central to the economic and social recovery of the country post-Covid which the Scottish government can’t take forward,” Swinney told BBC Radio Scotland’s ‘Good Morning, Scotland’ program.

The Scottish authorities are “inhibited” from addressing the “real issues” faced by the country in the time of the pandemic, because policies that affect borrowing and employment law are overseen by the UK government, he said.

"We can only address and sort that issue if we are an independent country. It’s imperative we take forward that approach, to make sure we’re in a position to take the decisions that will enable us to make the economic and social recovery we need to make."

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon plans to demand a second referendum from London within the next six months, before the Scottish parliamentary election in May.

The semi-autonomous nation voted to stay in the UK by 55 percent to 45 during the first referendum in 2014. The coronavirus has strained relations between Edinburgh and London, causing a sizable shift in public opinion.

A study in August by the online polling company Panelbase revealed record support for independence among Scots, with 55 percent saying they would say ‘yes’ to leaving the UK if a new vote was staged in 2021.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed that he won’t allow a referendum as long as he’s in office, but it may be harder for him to resist Sturgeon if her Scottish National Party maintains its majority in next year’s election.