Sturgeon delivers lawn order to May over next IndyRef

NICOLA sturgeon parked her tanks on Theresa May’s lawn in a show of electoral strength, claiming Tory arguments against a second independence referendum will “crumble to dust” if the sNP win a majority of scottish seats.

The sNP leader was at Westminster for a photo call yesterday, surrounded by most of the 54 sNP MPs, who she hopes will be returned to the Commons in June’s snap election.

While arguing that only the sNP stand between scotland and “an increasingly hardline Tory Government”, sturgeon handed May the tools to attack Labour across the UK.

The First Minister repeated her 2015 offer that if the “parliamentary arithmetic” supported it, she would form a “progressive alliance” to keep May from returning to Downing street.

The prospect of a Labour government supported by the sNP in 2015 was used by the Tories to beat down the Labour vote in England.

In what is set to be an vindictive Tory campaign against Jeremy Corbyn, the same tactic is expected to be rolled out again this time.

But sturgeon said that, unlike 2015, there was no prospect of Labour winning enough seats to keep the Conservatives out.

she said: “I’m not sure there are many people who think Labour are going to be in a position, on their own or with anybody else, to form a government.

“Only the sNP will stand between scotland and an increasingly hardline and right-wing Tory Government. since 2010, we have seen the damage that this Tory Government have done – first with no majority of their own and then with a small majority.

“We should be in no doubt what a Tory government with an increased majority would mean.

“It would mean not just the hardest possible Brexit but also further austerity and deeper cuts.”

she said her party would ensure the future of scotland is “decided not here in Westminster but in scotland”.

Corbyn ruled out any coalition with the sNP, saying there can’t be a “progressive alliance” with the sNP because they are not a progressive party.

The Labour leader accused sturgeon of passing on Tory austerity in scotland and said scottish independence would lead to turbo-charged austerity.

Corbyn said: “The sNP may talk left at Westminster but in government in scotland they act right. A genuinely progressive party would not refuse to introduce a 50p rate of income tax on the richest.

“The sNP want to break up the UK, they have no interest in making it work better. Independence would lead to turbo-charged austerity in scotland – not progressive politics.

“Nicola sturgeon is trying to convince people in scotland that you can get rid of the Tories by voting sNP. she couldn’t be more wrong.

“Only Labour or the Tories can win this election and voting Labour is the only way to remove Theresa May from office.”