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Nicola Sturgeon backtracks on pledge to secure second Scottish independence referendum Nicola Sturgeon backtracks on pledge to secure second Scottish independence referendum
(35 minutes later)
Nicola Sturgeon has pulled back from an early second referendum to secure Scottish independence, after the SNP’s election setbackNicola Sturgeon has pulled back from an early second referendum to secure Scottish independence, after the SNP’s election setback
The Scottish First Minister announced she would “reset the plan we set out on March 13” – which promised legislation at Holyrood to try to force the referendum. The Scottish First Minister announced she would “reset the plan we set out on 13 March” – which promised legislation at Holyrood to try to force the referendum.
“We will not seek to introduce legislation for an independence referendum immediately,” Ms Sturgeon told the Edinburgh parliament. The move backfired in this month’s general election, when her Scottish National Party lost 21 of its 56 seats, falling to 35 per cent of the vote.
More follows… With recent polling suggesting just 43 per cent of Scots favour a second independence referendum so quickly, Ms Sturgeon admitted the controversy had cost her party at the ballot box.
“I am therefore confirming today that, having listened and reflected, the Scottish government will reset the plan I set out on 13 March,” Ms Sturgeon told the Edinburgh Parliament.
“We will not seek to introduce legislation for an independence referendum immediately.”
In March, the First Minister vowed to give Scots a second chance to vote on leaving the UK by the time of EU withdrawal in spring 2019 – after insisting Scotland rejected Theresa May’s plans for a hard Brexit.
At Holyrood, Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, said she should have gone further by taking the independence referendum off the table entirely.
But Ms Sturgeon insisted that the Scottish Government “remains committed strongly to the principle of giving Scotland a choice at the end of this process”.
The SNP still wanted to give people a choice at the end of the Brexit process when “clarity has emerged” about how the move will impact Scotland and the UK.
In the meantime, her ministers would “ redouble our efforts and put our shoulder to the wheel in seeking to influence the Brexit talks in a way that protects Scotland's interests”.
Insisting independence remained her dream, Ms Sturgeon said: “We must persuade the majority in Scotland of that. We have not done that yet – but I have no doubt that we can.”