NICOLA Sturgeon hit back at a journalist for asking her about Scottish independence at the coronavirus briefing. 

Peter MacMahon from ITV border asked the First Minister about Ian Blackford saying indyref2 will be held next year.

READ MORE: Indyref2 will be held next year, says Ian Blackford

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday National, MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber said he understood people’s frustration over recent months as they recoiled at Scotland’s treatment at the hands of Boris Johnson’s Tory government, but now was the time for the Yes movement to come together, respect each other and listen to each others’ points of view.

The FM said: "I think my views on independence are well known. This is not the forum for me to go into them in detail. When we get to the point where we're sending out plans and a manifesto for the election, I will set out my thoughts on the timing of that. I've made that clear but I'm not getting any further into that today. This is a Covid briefing." 

Sturgeon was then interrupted by MacMahon and she said: "You can ask me again if you want. My answer will be the same."

MacMahon said: "I just want to say with respect, your Westminster leader has raised this. He's your leader in Westminster."

The FM hit back, adding: "I don't think it should come as any surprise to anybody that people in the SNP want to think there will be an independence referendum sooner rather than later. That is probably the view of all of us but I'll set out as First Minister, as leader of the SNP, in our manifesto what the timing of that is.

"I'm not going to diverted from a Covid briefing into other matters - no matter how much you might like me to and no matter how much some people watching might like me to. I know that most people watching probably want to hear my thoughts on Covid."