SNP begins court action over election debate snub

The SNP and the Liberal Democrats will today challenge a decision to exclude their party leaders from a TV election debate.

ITV is hosting a headto-head contest between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn tomorrow, without any other party leaders.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: “This challenge is not just about the SNP, it’s about fairness.”

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said there is an “unstoppable” desire for independence in Scotland as he urged Labour and Liberal Democrat voters to “lend” the SNP their votes.

Mr Blackford claimed the SNP was the main challenger in every Conservative seat in Scotland as support for Labour had collapsed and the Lib Dems were too weak to take on the Conservatives.

Pointing to three council by-elections this week – Rosyth, Dunfermline Central and Inverness Central, which were all won by the nationalists with the Conservatives second – and a Yougov poll which put Labour on just 12 per cent, he said the SNP was now the “only party that can deprive Boris Johnson of the majority he craves – and lock the Tories out of government”.

He added: “This is one of the most important elections in Scotland’s history.

“As recent election results and polls have shown, Labour and the Liberal Democrats are too weak to take the Tories on in Scotland.

“The SNP is by far the strongest Remain party, the only party that can beat the Tories, and the only party offering people in Scotland a choice over our future.”