Sturgeon shelves plans for second referendum bill until autumn 2018 at earliest
Sturgeon says the Scottish parliament has a right to call a second referendum.
The SNP has now won two elections on this platform, she says.
The mandate the Scottish government has is “beyond doubt”.
But deciding when to exercise it is a matter of judgment. And she says it must be exercised in the interests of the nation as a whole.
She says she respects those who don’t want a referendum. Others want one tomorrow.
But she says many people do not fall into either category. They worry about the future. They think it is not right to have a referendum “right now”.
They want more clarity, about Brexit and about the alternatives.
And they want the Scottish government to focus on getting the best Brexit deal.
She says that is even more important given the opportunity, “however narrow”, of keeping the UK in the single market.
Sturgeon says she still wants to give people a choice at the end of the Brexit process.
She will reset the plan, she says.