We know the damage Tories do in Scotland
Sturgeon backs ‘progressive alliance’ if General Election ends in a hung parliament
NICOLA Sturgeon has said SNP MPs would “look to be part of a progressive alliance” at Westminster if the General Election results in a hung parliament.
While the Scottish First Minister and SNP leader said she did not think Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was “credible as an alternative prime minister”, she insists her party would work with others to implement “progressive policies”.
The Scottish Government Sturgeon leads have already introduced a number of policies contained in Labour’s manifesto – axing tuition fees for students and abolishing parking fees in hospitals.
And she told The Andrew Neil Interviews on BBC One that SNP MPs at Westminster would “work for progressive policies”.
She said: “If there was to be a hung parliament, of course we would look to be part of a progressive alliance that pursued progressive policies.
“But let’s get back to the reality of this election. The reality, even with a narrowing of the polls, is that we’re going to face a Tory government perhaps with a bigger majority, so my priority in this election is to say to people in Scotland, ‘If you want Scotland’s interest to be protected and our voice heard, then you’ve got to vote SNP to make sure that’s the case’.
“Voting Tory delivers Tory MPs who’ll rubber stamp Theresa May and voting Labour in Scotland risks letting the Tories in.”
When asked if she would prefer May or Corbyn in Downing Street, the First Minister said: “I don’t want a Tory prime minister. I don’t want to see a Tory government.”
In the run-up to the 2015 general election the Tories sought to raise fears in England about the impact a possible coalition between Labour and the nationalists could have.
Conservative Party chairman Patrick McLoughlin said yesterday a deal between the SNP and Labour “would mean Jeremy Corbyn propped up by a weak and unstable coalition just days before the Brexit negotiations start – putting at risk the deal we need to get”.
He added: “Corbyn and the rest would put up taxes, weaken our defences and increase immigration. We know he would give into Sturgeon’s demand for another independence referendum, because he’s fine with that.
“In the days of shock election results, Corbyn could become PM – and polls are tightening.”
Sturgeon said that “even with the narrowing of the polls, I still think it is highly likely the Tories are going to win this election” – adding that “what matters for Scotland is we’ve got the strongest possible voice – we know the damage Tory governments do to Scotland”.
She said the vote on June 8 would “not decide whether or not Scotland becomes independent” – but argued that if her party won in Scotland it would strengthen the case for a second referendum. “We’ve got that mandate already,” she said, adding that victory would “underline and reinforce that mandate”.
The SNP manifesto for the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections made clear the party would seek to hold another vote on taking the country out of the UK if there was a “material change in circumstances” from 2014 – specifically citing the example of Scotland being removed from the European Union against its wishes.
With the First Minister already having put forward proposals for a second referendum sometime between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, she said: “I want Scotland to have a choice at the end of the Brexit process when options are clear.”
The Prime Minister has dismissed all calls for a referendum so far.
But Sturgeon suggested May could give way if put under pressure.
She said: “In politics, positions quickly become unsustainable. We’ve seen in the last few days this is not a Prime Minister who’s very good at holding positions when she feels under pressure. She has seemed to perfect the art of the U-turn.”