Theresa May has signalled that Nicola Sturgeon's attempt to hold a second Scottish independence referendum could be thwarted for several years.

The Conservative Party manifesto says: "In order for a referendum to be fair, legal and decisive, it cannot take place until the Brexit process has played out and it should not take place unless there is public consent for it to happen. This is a time to pull together, not apart."

The Brexit negotiations are due to end in 2019 but the "process," including transitional arrangements, could mean that this runs for several years thereafter, meaning a future Tory government could rule out facilitating another vote on Scotland's future for the entirety of the next parliament ie until 2022.