SNP candidates afraid to mention ‘independence’ in Tory seat leaf lets
NATIONALIST candidates in key Tory marginal seats have been accused of trying to ‘con’ voters by avoiding the issue of independence in campaign materials, an MP has claimed.
The push for another separation vote has not been mentioned in a list of priorities issued by SNP hopefuls in two of its top target seats.
This is despite Nicola Sturgeon admitting that she will attempt to use votes for her party to boost her case for another vote on Scotland’s place in the UK.
The SNP has targeted a series of seats held by Tory MPs – but has toned down its pro-independence message in key Tory-held seats where there has previously been a strong pro-Union vote.
A leaflet issued by John Nicolson, the former MP and TV prebe.’ senter who is fighting Luke Graham in Ochil and South Perthshire, lists five ‘SNP priorities’ but makes no mention of the push for another independence referendum.
Another leaflet issued by MEP Alyn Smith, the SNP candidate for Stirling, says ‘vote for me to stop Brexit, stand up to Boris Johnson and represent the interests of people in Stirling’.
Mr Graham said: ‘This is evidence that the SNP is trying to con voters. Voters here will not be fooled: they know too well that every vote for the SNP is a vote to drag us back to another divisive independence referendum.
‘It is poor for someone trying to become an MP to try to pull the wool over people’s eyes and not be honest about what they stand for.
‘It is a forewarning about the kind of MP John Nicolson would In his campaign leaflet, Mr Nicolson, who was MP for East Dunbartonshire for two years until he was defeated by Liberal Democrat Jo Swinson in 2017, listed his priorities as stopping ‘Boris Johnson’s Brexit chaos’, supporting local producers, repealing Universal Credit legislation, opposing Tory austerity and ‘fighting for Scotland’s place in Europe’.
He is seeking to overturn Mr Graham’s majority of 3,359 from 2017, when he ousted Nationalist MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh.
Mr Smith – Scotland’s longestserving MEP – also fails to mention the push for independence in his list of priorities sent to voters in Stirling, where he hopes to overturn Tory MP Stephen Kerr’s majority of 148.
Mr Kerr said: ‘It is a deliberate attempt to try to cover up what they are saying nationally, where they say they want to stop Brexit and have another independence referendum. They know this is a Unionist seat, and Luke’s seat is Unionist too.
‘The fact Nicola Sturgeon came to Stirling on Wednesday was hugely welcome by me and I hope she will keep coming with her neverending chat about an independence referendum because people are sick and tired of that.’ Mr Smith yesterday appealed on social media for campaign donations. He said: ‘The Tories are flooding Stirling with paid-for literature and we’re up against it.’
In Edinburgh yesterday, Miss Sturgeon claimed that ‘everybody knows’ there is going to be an independence referendum. Asked if those who don’t want a referendum should vote for another party, she said: ‘No, I want all Scots to vote SNP because voting SNP is the way to make Scotland’s voice heard and not ignored.’
On the prospect of their votes being used to demand another independence referendum, she said: ‘I don’t think I could be any clearer about my party’s position, what we are standing in this election for, and I think people in Scotland have shown in election after election how savvy they are when it comes to casting their votes.’
On Mr Smith and Mr Nicolson’s campaign materials, a spokesman for the SNP said: ‘Support for an independent Scotland is rising and our opponents are rattled.
‘Our campaign has wind in its sails and this weekend Nicola Sturgeon will be speaking at the independence rally at George Square in Glasgow.’
‘Pull wool over people’s eyes’