STURGEON: VOTE CORBYN, GET ME
÷I’ll prop him up on a vote by vote basis, she promises ÷And Lib Dem veteran Vince Cable says he’ll do a deal, too ÷But Tories warn it could bring the end of the Union
BRITAIN is facing the threat of a chaotic government led by Jeremy Corbyn – but effectively run by Nicola Sturgeon.
As some opinion polls suggested a shrinking Tory lead could produce a hung parliament, the SNP leader said she would back Mr Corbyn on a ‘vote by vote’ basis.
This would allow her party to extract maximum advantage out of a weak Labour administration – and renew the threat of a breakup of the Union.
Liberal Democrat grandee Sir Vince Cable also opened the door to a deal with Labour, saying it would be done on a vote by vote basis rather than through a coalition.
An Ipsos Mori poll yesterday became the latest to show the race for No 10 tightening, with the Tory lead cut by ten points. The pollster put the Tories on 45 per cent and Labour on 40. The figures were adjusted to reflect people’s likelihood of voting, but the raw data put Labour ahead for the first time on 43 to 40. Other polls suggest the Conservatives still have a healthy lead and senior Tories remain cautiously optimistic that Theresa May will secure a majority next week.
They warned that a feeble minority government led by Mr Corbyn but propped up by the SNP and the Lib Dems would damage the economy and wreck hopes of a good Brexit deal in negotiations with Brussels due to start 11 days after the election.
Cabinet minister Priti Patel said: ‘It is now clear that a vote for anyone other than Theresa May will risk putting Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street, propped up by the SNP and Lib Dems.
‘Nicola Sturgeon would hand Jeremy Corbyn the keys to Downing Street and in return he’d help her break up the union. Their shared agenda of high taxes, more borrowing and weakening our national security would be a heavy price for families to pay.
‘Putting them in charge would mean chaos for the economy, chaos for the Brexit negotiations and chaos for families across the country, with higher taxes, fewer jobs and more debt.’
Her warning came as analysis of Mr Corbyn’s announcements revealed that he has made more than £9billion in uncosted new pledges this week.
And shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he is convinced Labour will win and is already ‘preparing to move in to the Treasury’.
Miss Sturgeon made it clear she is relishing the chance to hold Britain to ransom by propping up a weak Labour government.
The Scottish First Minister said there would be ‘all sorts of talks’ between the parties if Mrs May falls short of an overall majority.
‘If there was to be a hung parliament, if the parliamentary arithmetic allowed it, then I would want the SNP to be part of a progressive alternative to a Conservative government,’ she said.
‘Not in a coalition – I don’t envisage any formal coalitions, but on an issue by issue basis, to put forward progressive policies and see a progressive agenda, and we see some of the parties in this election, not least Labour, putting forward policies that the SNP have already implemented in Scotland.’ Meanwhile, Sir Vince said the Lib Dems ‘wouldn’t go down the coalition route’ with Labour.
Asked if any deal would be done on a vote by vote basis, he told LBC Radio: ‘Yes it would, exactly.’
He added: ‘We wouldn’t be propping up a government, we would look at it measure by measure, look at it on its merit, and actually that might provide better government.’
Labour has said it would not enter a formal coalition with the SNP and Lib Dems but would try to run a minority government with
‘Higher taxes, fewer jobs and more debt’ ‘She will have him in her back pocket’
their support. Mr Corbyn has even refused to rule out asking Sinn Fein MPs to take their seats in parliament in order to prop him up.
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said a Labour/SNP deal would lead to the break-up of Britain, as Mr Corbyn has already said he would ‘open discussions’ with the SNP on a second Scottish independence referendum if elected prime minister.
‘Corbyn will immediately agree to another referendum,’ he said. ‘That will be the price of her support and he will agree to it because he doesn’t care about the UK and he will be too weak to do anything else. She will have him in her back pocket.’
Speculation about a hung parliament has intensified in recent days as the towering Tory poll leads of last month have shrunk to single figures. But pollsters are divided on the likely outcome, with some predicting a healthy Tory win.
A forecast by the former Tory treasurer- turned- pollster Lord Ashcroft yesterday predicted Mrs May remains on course to secure 355 seats and a majority of 60 – although that is down from his previous estimates of a 100-plus Conservative majority.
‘The majority could be considerably better or worse than this for the Conservatives, depending on the pattern of turnout,’ he said.
Miss Patel said former Labour voters who backed Brexit were still crossing to the Tories because of disillusion with Mr Corbyn.
‘Labour brought uncontrolled immigration to Britain and it is clear they will continue with it,’ she said. ‘They don’t believe in Brexit and they don’t believe in Britain. I hear constantly from traditional Labour supporters who voted for Brexit that they don’t want Diane Abbott in charge of immigration and Jeremy Corbyn in charge of Brexit.’