Nicola Sturgeon admits plan for second independence vote backfired after dismal SNP result

Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to "reflect carefully" on the “disappointing result” that saw her party lose 21 seats, amid mounting pressure on the SNP to shelve a plan for a second independence referendum.

The Scottish First Minister acknowledged the looming prospect of another vote on independence was “undoubtedly” a factor in the party’s dismal showing, but also warned against “rushing to overly simplistic judgements".

"I strongly suspect there were independence supporters amongst those who voted for Jeremy Corbyn," she said.

"Undoubtedly the issue of an independence referendum was a factor in this election result, but I think there were other factors in this election result as well. [There is] a lot of thinking for the SNP to do."

The SNP saw its vote drop by 13 percentage points on Thursday, a drubbing that handed 12 seats to the Tories, six to Labour and three to the Liberal Democrats.

Ms Sturgeon’s party ended the night with 35 MPs and just under 37 per cent of the vote – a result substantially down on the 50 per cent they secured in 2015, which gave them 56 MPs.

Praise fell to Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, whose strong performance north of the border – the best since 1983 – was credited with keeping the Tories in government.

The biggest scalp of the night came when former SNP leader Alex Salmond was unseated in Gordon by Tory candidate Colin Clark.

SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson also fell more than 4,000 votes short of his Tory rival Douglas Ross.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said plans for a second referendum were a "significant motivator" which lost the SNP support, adding the party would "have to be attentive to that".

Commenting on the results, Ms Davidson said the Scottish nationalists should now agree to take a second referendum “off the table”.

Branding the demand for IndyRef2 “a massive political miscalculation”, she said: “This morning, we have heard SNP figures acknowledge that the referendum demands were behind its bad result.

“We have heard the First Minister say she will 'reflect' on the matter. I'm afraid that's not enough.

“Nobody will condemn the First Minister if she now decides to reset her course.

“This is her opportunity to do so – and I urge her to take it immediately. She must take it off the table.”

The Scottish Liberal Democrats, who won four seats, having been reduced to just one Scottish MP in 2015, also backed calls for the SNP to rule out a second independence referendum.

Leader Willie Rennie said a vote should be held in Holyrood to “delay and stop” another referendum in the current parliamentary term.

Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson, who regained her seat from the SNP's John Nicolson, said the result sent a “clear message that East Dunbartonshire does not want another divisive independence referendum”.

Ms Sturgeon’s apparent willingness to reconsider her demand for an imminent Scottish independence referendum contrasts with a more bullish tone in recent months.

In March, Ms Sturgeon fired the starting gun on IndyRef2, announcing plans to hold a second vote between autumn 2018 and spring 2019 – before the final deal on Brexit was due to have been reached.

She said at the time: “What Scotland deserves, in the light of the material change of circumstances brought about by the Brexit vote, is the chance to decide our future in a fair, free and democratic way – and at a time when we are equipped with the facts we need.”

Political commentator David Torrance said the union between Scotland the rest of the UK was now “safer” following the general election.