Sturgeon's independence dream is OVER : SNP CANCELS £1million fundraising site
NICOLA Sturgeon could be set to back down from seeking a second Scottish referendum after her party’s £1million fundraising website was taken down.
The SNP scrapped its online fundraising drive after losing 21 seats in the General Election on June 8.
And even Mrs Sturgeon realised she could be staring defeat in the face saying: “I will reflect on the outcome of the election and I will do that carefully and in discussion with colleagues across the SNP.”
The party's fundraising website was first put online within minutes of the first minister announcing her bid for a new referendum in March.
It asked members of the public to donate cash and sign a “pledge to support #ScotRef” - a social media tag to identify the second referendum.
The donations were still coming in up until last week Thursday, and by 6pm had raised £482,000, The Scottish Herald reports.
However, the donation drive was taken off the site following the election, only leaving a section entitled “Our Nation’s Future. Your Choice.”
It’s thought that Mrs Sturgeon’s party had hoped to generate campaign funds through its ref.scot website.
The SNP lost 21 seats to the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats in last week’s election, The Scotsman reports.
Deputy first minister John Swinney blamed the referendum for causing the election losses.
He told the BBC: "We will take time and care to reflect on the outcome of this result."
The Scottish Conservatives, in contrast, enjoyed a great night, ousting Alex Salmond from his seat in Gordon.
Led by Ruth Davidson, the Conservatives secured 13 seats in Scotland - the party's best performance in the country since 1983.
Ms Davidson attacked Mrs Sturgeon’s hopes for a second referendum, branding the idea “dead”.