Nicola Sturgeon accepts second independence referendum could be delayed if Brexit process drags on

Nicola Sturgeon has accepted a second independence referendum could be delayed if the Brexit process drags on beyond Theresa May’s timetable.

The Scottish First Minister made the comments as she unveiled the SNP’s general election manifesto at Perth Concert Hall. The document set out a “plan to end Tory cuts”, freeing up £118bn of public money across the UK over the term of the next parliament.

With the UK due to exit the European Union in less than two years, Ms Sturgeon said Scotland “must have a choice” about its future between Brexit and independence.

“I said autumn 2018 to spring 2019 for [a second independence referendum for] a reason because that is when Theresa May is saying the Brexit process will end. So I’ve taken her at her word,” said the First Minister.

“If that changes then… I’ve said this on the day I set out these plans. If that changes then of course we will have to consider our timing in light of that because the key point, the principle, for me, is clarity at the end of the process to allow people to make a genuinely informed choice about the future of our country.”

The Conservative manifesto – published two weeks’ ago – says no referendum on independence will be held unless there is “public consent” and also pledges there will be no vote on the contentious issue until the Brexit process “has played out”.

During the speech to party delegates, Ms Sturgeon said: “This is why I believe so strongly at the end of the Brexit process – not now, but when the terms of the deal are known – Scotland must have a choice about our future; a choice between following the UK down the Brexit path or becoming an independent country.

“There is just too much at stake for Brexit simply to be imposed on Scotland, no matter how damaging it turns out to be. Our future must be decided by us.”

She added that last year’s Holyrood elections “delivered the democratic mandate” for Scotland having such a choice, adding that the recent vote of the Scottish Parliament had underlined it.

Ms Sturgeon continued: “If the SNP wins a majority of Scottish seats in this election, that will further reinforce our mandate. And in these circumstances, any continued attempts to block Scotland having a choice – when the time is right and the options are clear – would be democratically unsustainable.”

The SNP also gave its support to increasing the top rate of tax across the UK from 45p to 50p, alongside plans to increase the “real living wage” to just more than £10 an hour by the end of the next parliament, as part of a “three-point plan to tackle poverty and inequality”.

SNP MPs at Westminster would also support the reversal of the two-child cap on tax credits, with Ms Sturgeon pledging: “We will campaign tirelessly against the immoral ‘rape clause’ that goes with it – a policy that shames every Tory candidate who supports it.”

She condemned the Conservatives for their “assault on social security”, saying this was an attack on the poor, disabled and vulnerable in society.

“These cuts strike at the very heart of how we see ourselves as a nation and our shared ambition for the future,” she added.