Businesses 'fed up' with push for second referendum
The Highland Spring executive said the Scottish government should be focusing on Brexit.
Business leaders are "fed up" with Nicola Sturgeon's quest for independence and want her to get back to her day job, according to the boss of one of Scotland's best-known brands.
Les Montgomery, chief executive of bottled water firm Highland Spring, told the Press Association the Scottish Government should be helping the Conservatives to achieve the best possible Brexit outcome.
He said: "Businesses are fed up. The Scottish Government should be getting on with the job they are there to do. Focusing on employment, investment, those kinds of things.
"Independence isn't the job that the Scottish Government is supposed to be doing."
His comments come as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed plans for a second referendum on Scottish independence are being put on hold - but left the door open for another ballot before 2021.
Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament she was going to "reset" the timetable she had previously set out, which could have seen a referendum take place between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.
But she made clear that she wanted to give Scottish voters - who backed Remain in last year's EU referendum - an alternative to Brexit when there is "clarity" at the end of the process.
Mr Montgomery said it looks like independence is "off the table" for now, and that was a good thing as it is "just a distraction".
"I have 600 people that I am responsible for, and I am trying to do the best for them. I would think the Scottish Government should also try to do the best for the people as a whole."
Highland Spring is owned by one of Scotland's wealthiest men, Mahdi Al Tajir, who is worth over £1.6 billion. On Brexit, Mr Montgomery said the Scottish Government should be "helping the country exit as effectively as possible", rather than trying to create more division.