Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Nationalist Will Not Seek Referendum Before Brexit

LONDON (AP) — Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon has delayed legislation that would have sought a second independence referendum.

Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh that after careful reflection she is putting plans for an independence vote on hold, and will instead focus attention on influencing the Brexit outcome so it will be favorable to Scots.

Sturgeon said in March that a second vote on whether Scotland should break away from the rest of the United Kingdom should be held between late 2018 and early 2019 to give Scots an alternative to Brexit.

While Britain as a whole voted last June to leave the European Union, in Scotland the vote was 62-38 percent to remain.