There are days which are seen by history as truly defining. They shape the eras which fall on either side of them and come to be judged as the pivot points on which history then turns, for good or ill. Today, 29 March, threatens to become one of those days. I say threatens because I cannot pretend that I believe the triggering of article 50 by the Prime Minister is anything other than a sad day in the history of Britain, and the European continent as a whole.

Below is the speech given by Nicola Sturgeon to the Scottish Parliament on Scotland’s referendum. Check against delivery. 

Last Wednesday, politics in Edinburgh and in London stopped.

The shocking events in and around the Palace of Westminster put into perspective our daily jousts and squabbles, whether at Holyrood or on the green benches of the Commons.

Today I stood with the SNP’s team of candidates for Glasgow to launch our manifesto for this great city. We have 56 candidates from all sorts of backgrounds and walks of life. We all share the passion and commitment of the people who live here for making our city the best we know it can be.