There are some who would
like to see a very early referendum,
others want that choice
to be much later.
My job as first minister
is to reach a judgment,
not simply in my party's interest
but in the national interest.
[Background – Laughter]
[Backgorund – Hear hear!]
In doing so, a key priority
is ensuring that
we learn the lessons
of Brexit.
To rush into an immediate
decision before a Brexit path
has been determined would
not allow for an
informed choice to be made.
However, if we are to
safeguard Scotland's interests,
we cannot wait indefinitely.
That is why I consider that a choice
between Brexit and a future
for Scotland as an independent
European nation should be offered
in the lifetime of this parliament.
If Scotland is taken out of the EU,
the option of a referendum
on independence within that
timescale must be open to us.
That would be our route
to avoiding the worst
of the damage
Brexit will do.
