Second referendum for Scottish independence postponed

Nicola Sturgeon has postponed the second referendum to secure Scottish independence after the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) election setback.

Sturgeon promised on 13 March legislation at Holyrood to try to force the referendum, but has since announced she would ‘reset’ the plan.

The move backfired in the general election as the SNP lost 21 of its 56 seats, falling to 35 per cent of the vote.

Sturgeon said that the controversy had cost her party at the ballot box, adding: “I am therefore confirming today that, having listened and reflected, the Scottish government will reset the plan I set out on 13 March. We will not seek to introduce legislation for an independence referendum immediately.”

At Holyrood, Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, said Sturgeon should have taken the independence referendum off the table completely. 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’.