No bombast from Sturgeon as she grasps delicacy of the moment

Scotland's first minister leaves question of how independence will be delivered hanging in the air

It was a cleverly crafted speech from Nicola Sturgeon, by far the UK's longest-serving party leader; she used bright splashes of colour, judicious notes of caution, and delivered it with conviction.

Yet what was equally noticeable was what she did not say. For all the optimism and confidence-building Sturgeon offered around the case for independence, there was much less clarity and certainty about how it might be delivered. Her speech left that question, the biggest question of all, hanging in the air.