Jeremy Corbyn has been forced to make a U-turn within hours of ruling out a second independence referendum for the first full term of a Labour government.

The Labour leader said on Wednesday he would not allow a fresh independence vote before the next general election in 2024.

But just hours later, he backtracked to say there would not be a vote in the "early years" of a Labour government.

That has been the party's position for several months.

Nicola Sturgeon said Corbyn's stance had "crumbled within a morning, while the Conservatives and Lib Dems said the U-turn demonstrated he could not be trusted on the issue.

Visiting Glasgow as part of a two-day Scottish tour, Corbyn categorically ruled out a referendum during the "first term for a Labour government".

There would be "no referendum" in order that a Labour government could "concentrate completely in investment across Scotland", he told journalists.

Aides quickly backpedalled on the statement, briefing the media that a Corbyn-led administration could change its position if the SNP won a majority in the 2021 Holyrood election.

Speaking to STV's political correspondent Ewan Petrie later on Wednesday, the Labour leader was pressed for clarity on his comments.

Corbyn said: "In the early years of a Labour government, I absolutely rule it out, because I want us to prioritise and give huge emphasis to investing in Scotland - £77bn of total investment coming in."

Asked what he would do if the SNP take a Scottish Parliament majority in 2021, he said: "We'll rule out in the early years of a Labour government.

"The priority has to be investment in Scotland and people will rapidly see the difference a Labour government makes in Westminster to helping people in Scotland."

Responding to the Labour leader, Sturgeon said: "Jeremy Corbyn's attempt to say no to the right of people in Scotland to choose their own future crumbled within a morning.

"And the reason for that is quite simple: he knows is not a democratically acceptable or sustainable position.

"It's fine to oppose independence but to say that Westminster will block the right of Scotland to choose just doesn't stand up to any scrutiny."

Scottish Tory MSP Annie Wells said: "Today Jeremy Corbyn was all over the place when it comes to independence. His aides were rushing to clarify before he'd even finished speaking, just about.

"It shows that he cannot be trusted on anything to do with the union."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie commented: "What we have under Jeremy Corbyn is a Labour party that's prepared to Scotland's place in the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom's place in the European Union.

"That will not be good for the economy or investment."