NICOLA Sturgeon has delayed spelling out her plan to secure a second referendum in spite of Theresa May saying “now is not the time” until after the General Election.

The First Minister’s official spokesman said Ms Sturgeon had intended to set out her “next steps” to MSPs after the local election on May 4, but this had now been put back again.

Speaking after Ms Sturgeon chaired her weekly meeting of the Scottish Cabinet, he said: “Early thinking had been to come back to parliament after the local election.

“But there’s another election now, so we are looking to the other side of the General Election to come back on that.”

Ms Sturgeon announced her intention last month, warning Mrs May she would not accept her refusal to devolve referendum powers to Holyrood after MSPs voted 69-59 in favour of it.

In a letter formally requesting Westminster devolve the required power under a so-called “Section 30” order, Ms Sturgeon said: “It is my firm view that the mandate of the Scottish Parliament must be respected and progressed. The question is not if, but how.”

At the time, her plan was to set out her plan after the Easter recess.

There was speculation she might introduce a referendum bill at Holyrood without the power to put it into effect, and dare the UK government to block it.

But te snap general election has now derailed that, with all parties shifting into campaign mode.

Ms Sturgeon has called for a second referendum in late 2018 or early 2019, so Scots can choose between Brexit in the UK and a more pro-European independence.

However Mrs May ruled out that timetable, arguing the UK needed to focus on Brexit instead.

An exclusive BMG/Herald poll this week found most Scots against a referendum before 2021.

The “next steps” delay comes as Ms Sturgeon faces ridicule for appearing to flip-flop over independence and the general election.

The First Minister was rounded on by her Unionist critics at Holyrood after trying to decouple the constitutional question from the vote on June 8.

The change of tack came after a poll suggested the Scottish Tories, who have put opposing a second referendum at the heart of their campaign, could take 10 seats from the SNP.

Last week, in the immediate aftermath of Theresa May calling the snap election, Ms Sturgeon said a strong SNP result would “reinforce” her mandate for a second referendum.

She later said: “Make no mistake - if the SNP wins this election in Scotland, and the Tories don’t, then Theresa May’s attempt to block our mandate to hold another referendum when the time is right will crumble to dust."

However on a visit to the STUC in Aviemore on Monday, the SNP leader said the election and the independence question were distinct, and she already had a referendum mandate.

“The election won’t decide whether or not Scotland becomes independent,” she said.

In the 2015 general election, the SNP manifesto explicitly stated the vote was not about independence, and the party recorded it best ever result, taking 56 of 59 Scottish seats.

But polls suggest the Tories have since made significant strides in Scotland, doubling their MSPs at Holyrood last year, and the SNP’s tally of MPs is likely to be smaller this time.

That could make it hard for Ms Sturgeon to argue their is a public appetite for another referendum - hence the logic in saying the result is not about independence after all.

Citing a series of quotes from previous elections, the Scottish Conservatives said the SNP typically downplayed independence, then claim a mandate for it after the result regardless.



Leader Ruth Davidson said: “The First Minister risks turning herself into a laughing stock here.

“For the last few months, everyone in Scotland has seen her do nothing else but campaign for an unwanted second independence referendum.

“Yet now there's an election on, she suddenly tells people independence isn't the issue for her and orders her troops - don't mention the 'i' word.

“After the last few months of talking about nothing else, who does she think she's kidding?”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie added: Nicola Sturgeon has lost the plot.

“For months she has been having a tantrum - demanding Scots have another independence referendum so we could stay in Europe. When support dropped she got cold feet.

“First she watered down her EU policy to keep Brexit supporters on board. Now she is backing off independence to stop her party shedding votes in the general election.

“This is a party in disarray.”



