MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. While English and Welsh voters largely backed leaving the 28-nation bloc, voters in Scotland and Northern Ireland mostly voted "remain."
"There is not going to be an independence referendum in 2017, I don't think there is anybody who thinks that is the case," Sturgeon told STV News.
She added that it was "essential" for Scotland to stay in the single European market despite the British exit from the European Union, because of the market's impact on Scotland's jobs and investment, and the referendum at a later date should not be ruled out in order to prevent the region from being "driven off a hard Brexit cliff edge."
Following the 2016 referendum, Sturgeon said that Scotland would consider taking a vote on independence one more time after the September 2014 vote, claiming that the Brexit referendum outcome neglected Scotland’s willingness to stay in the European Union.
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