Sturgeon’s statement a means of buying time

Speaking from her Bute House residence, Nicola Sturgeon laid out her demands for a second independence referendum in March.

The First Minister said she would seek Holyrood’s approval for a secession vote between autumn 2018, when Brexit negotiations were scheduled to finish, and spring 2019, the date the UK is due to leave the EU.

Her demand was backed by MSPs and a formal request for permission for Indyref2 was later lodged with the Prime Minister.

Theresa May formally denied a section 30 order, which would temporarily transfer the authority for staging a referendum to Holyrood, on the grounds that “now is not the time” amid Brexit negotiations.

Meanwhile, government officials in Edinburgh were working on draft legislation that would enable the referendum to happen.

Yesterday, Ms Sturgeon backed down on her original independence demands – while retaining the right to call for one again when the true nature of Brexit emerges.

She has abandoned her previously preferred timescale for a vote – between late 2018 and early 2019 – and has pledged not to put her independence bill through Holyrood in the short term, a move she had in her armoury to keep the ante up on the secession campaign.

Instead, she says she will inform the Scottish Parliament of her intentions of pursuing a referendum next year, probably around autumn.

Sources close to her say it will now be all but impossible to hold a referendum before March 2019, when Brexit is due to happen.

Her “reset” timetable is not the parking of Indyref2 that many had predicted – and demanded, and the move may only push the timetable back by six months.

While it represents a retreat on her previous demands, it gives her greater flexibility in capitalising on Brexit unrest.

Prime Minister Theresa May.