Rivals in Scotland have attacked Ms Sturgeons position, with the leader of the Scottish Tories saying she risked becoming a "laughing stock".

Ruth Davidson said: "For the last few months, everyone in Scotland has seen her do nothing else but campaign for an unwanted second independence referendum. 

"Yet now there's an election on, she suddenly tells people independence isn't the issue for her and orders her troops - don't mention the 'i' word. 

"After the last few months of talking about nothing else, who does she think she's kidding?" 

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the first minister had "lost the plot." 

Vicki Young
Chief Political Correspondent

Clearly the Conservatives are quite confident that they can do better than they’ve done before in Wales.

They’re also going to maybe benefit from the fact that there was a huge UKIP vote here during the last election two years ago, about 14-15%, they’re confident that quite a lot of those voters will switch over to them.

I lost count how many times she (Theresa May) talked about “strong and stable leadership”, attacking Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership head-on.

It is clearly going to be a central part of their campaign - contrasting, as they see it, her "strong and steady" leadership with him.

She called him “weak” and “failing”.

Nicola Sturgeon is likely to delay a statement on a second Scottish independence referendum until after the general election. 

MSPs at Holyrood have been waiting for a "next steps" statement from the first minister on holding the second referendum on whether to leave the UK. 

A spokesman for Ms Sturgeon said she was planning to give a speech after local elections on 4 May, but that was before Theresa May announced her snap general election for 8 June. 

He said: "Initial thinking had been to do it after the local elections, we now obviously have another election to factor in, so it would be reasonable to expect it to be some time after the UK election." 

It comes after Ms Sturgeon was attacked by her rivals for saying the election was not about deciding whether or not Scotland is independent.

Mrs May says: "In terms of the single market… we want the best possible deal for trading with the European Union.

"We want the best possible tariff arrangements… to ensure that that trade can continue.

"We are not talking about access to the single market we are talking about trading with the single market."

Mrs May says the Tories will be fighting a "positive campaign".

"It is only you the people who can give us the mandate," she says.

"Give me a mandate to fight for Britain and give me a mandate to deliver for Britain."

She says it is the "most important election" of her lifetime.

The boss of British Gas owner Centrica hits back as the Tories propose a cap on energy bills.

Theresa May says that they want to make sure "decisions are made about Britain here in Britain".

She wants "a deep and special partnership" with the UK's EU neighbours and she also wants the UK to strike trade deals across the world.

The leader of Plaid Cymru says this election is about "survival" for her country with Brexit negotiations ahead. 

Leanne Wood said a Conservative government would "threaten the existence" of Wales and hers was the only party that could protect it. 

Theresa May has begun speaking in Wales.

She says "every single vote counts" and she wants support in Wales to "strengthen my hand in the Brexit negotiation".

She repeats her familiar message that she offers "strong and stable leadership" compared to Labour "chaos".

BBC News Channel

Reacting to the speech from shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, SNP MP Tommy Sheppard told the BBC: "If he really believes what he said this morning then why has the Labour party given Theresa May a blank cheque over Article 50?

"Because the arguments about EU nationals, and other things that Keir Starmer mentioned they were part of the debate, we put amendments on those things.

"Those amendments were voted down. When that happened why did l not then oppose Article 50 given those guarantees weren't present?

"I think it’s a case of too little too late."

David Davis has responded to Sir Keir Starmer's speech this morning on Labour's approach to leaving the EU with an already very familiar line of attack.

The Conservative Brexit Secretary said: "Jeremy Corbyn is too weak and floundering to get a good deal in the Brexit negotiations."

He then warned about a "coalition of chaos" between Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP - even though Mr Corbyn has ruled such a deal out.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Plaid Cymru Leanne Wood has dismissed a YouGov opinion poll suggesting the Conservatives were way ahead in Wales.

She said 4 May's local elections would be a far better guide to voting intentions.

The BBC's political correspondent in Wales, Nick Servini said the Conservatives were "in reasonable shape" with 11 out of 40 MPs at the moment. 

But he added that "the dominant political power base is still Labour in Wales".