Scotland's first minister says she still plans to hold a referendum by the end of next year.
Ms Sturgeon acknowledged that whether Holyrood had the power to legislate for a referendum was contested, and had not yet been tested in the courts.
However, the UK government has shown no sign it would be willing to give the formal consent that ensured the legality of the 2014 referendum again. Asked whether now was the right time to hold another vote, the first minister said the case for independence was not "abstract" or "separate" to the challenges the country faced.
He said the public wanted 100% of the government's focus to be on Covid recovery, the cost-of-living crisis, and supporting the health service. Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Scottish Lib Dem leader, said the Scottish government cared "more about their independence obsession than everyone stuck on the longest NHS waiting lists in history, the cost of living crisis or the climate emergency.Nicola Sturgeon has a Holyrood majority for indyref2 when all the SNP and Green votes are added together.
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