Online tool to boost tactical voting
SCOTS have been urged to vote tactically to stop Nicola Sturgeon gaining a majority at the Holyrood election.
A pro-Union campaign was launched yesterday suggesting that voters should avoid new fringe parties such as All for Unity.
Scotland in Union is urging the public to back one of the ‘three main pro-UK parties’ to shore up the Unionist vote by returning Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem MSPs to the Scottish parliament.
It comes days after Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross sought a ‘Pro-UK coalition’. His calls were rejected by other parties, which insisted he was playing politics and told him to ‘grow up’.
Miss Sturgeon has insisted that a proindependence majority in the next Scottish parliament would satisfy her that a referendum should be called within the next twoand-a-half years.
Scotland in Union has launched an online tool that enables voters to enter their postcode to see who they should vote for in their constituency ballot and regional list. A spokesman said: ‘The SNP will use every vote it gets to argue for another referendum on its negative vision to leave the UK.
‘If you do not want your ballot paper at this election to be used to divide communities, friends and families, you should consider tactically voting to stop the SNP in your constituency, and voting for one of the three main pro-UK parties.
‘Tactical voting could make the difference. So, if your priority in this election is anything other than a divisive referendum, then this guide will help you decide which parties to back with your two votes.’
In the 2016 Holyrood election, all pro-Union parties benefited from tactical voting. For example, Lib Dem Alex Cole-Hamilton won Edinburgh Western from the SNP.
Mr Ross said votes received on the party list in 2016 allowed the Scottish Tories ‘to more than double the number of our MSPs, stop the SNP having a majority and stop that referendum five years ago’. Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael said: ‘The seats that Lib Dems gain will make the difference between a parliament that has a majority for a referendum and one that puts recovery first.’
A Scottish Labour spokesman said: ‘Working to deliver a real national recovery plan without an unnecessary referendum will be our only priority.’ But All for Unity leader George Galloway said: ‘I have no idea who Scotland in the Union are – they don’t cut much mustard on the streets of Scotland or they’d be standing for election themselves.’
An SNP spokesman said: ‘This Labour-Tory alliance just proves that a vote for Labour is a vote to leave the Tories and Boris Johnson in charge of Scotland’s future.’