Scotland's first minister puts early second independence referendum on hold
It is perhaps too early to suggest that the SNP has had an outbreak of sanity.
Nevertheless there are signs of faint dawnings of reality as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced today that early plans for another Independence referendum have been put on hold.
The first minister told Holyrood she accepted there was no popular support in Scotland for a second vote on independence, and that legislation to hold one would be delayed until at least autumn 2018.
However, Nicola Sturgeon said she reserved the right to bring back her proposed bill to stage the independence vote in autumn 2018.
The Scottish National party lost 21 of its 56 Westminster seats at the hands of all three pro-UK parties at the election. Its support fell by 470,000 votes, and the party's Westminster leader, Angus Robertson, and former first minister Alex Salmond lost their seats to the Conservatives.
The Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson, said Sturgeon ought to cancel all plans for a referendum during this parliament, and take responsibility for misreading the mood of the Scottish electorate.
“She appears to be in denial about her mistakes over this last year and, as a result, is leaking credibility and confidence in her leadership by the hour,” Davidson said. “She now claims to be putting the referendum to one side. She should just give the country some certainty and take it off the table for the rest of this parliament at least.”
Nevertheless there are signs of faint dawnings of reality as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced today that early plans for another Independence referendum have been put on hold.
The first minister told Holyrood she accepted there was no popular support in Scotland for a second vote on independence, and that legislation to hold one would be delayed until at least autumn 2018.
However, Nicola Sturgeon said she reserved the right to bring back her proposed bill to stage the independence vote in autumn 2018.
The Scottish National party lost 21 of its 56 Westminster seats at the hands of all three pro-UK parties at the election. Its support fell by 470,000 votes, and the party's Westminster leader, Angus Robertson, and former first minister Alex Salmond lost their seats to the Conservatives.
The Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson, said Sturgeon ought to cancel all plans for a referendum during this parliament, and take responsibility for misreading the mood of the Scottish electorate.
“She appears to be in denial about her mistakes over this last year and, as a result, is leaking credibility and confidence in her leadership by the hour,” Davidson said. “She now claims to be putting the referendum to one side. She should just give the country some certainty and take it off the table for the rest of this parliament at least.”
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