NICOLA Sturgeon has urged voters to unite behind the SNP today as the “biggest and strongest anti-Brexit voice”, as her opponents warned a vote for the Nationalists risks muddying the waters and boosting the drive for independence.
The First Minister insisted Scotland’s interests have been ignored, and asked voters to send a message that “Scotland’s not for Brexit” as the polls open for the European elections.
It came as political parties took to the streets for one last day of campaigning ahead of the historic vote, with the SNP comfortably leading the polls north of the Border.
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson insisted Ms Sturgeon’s pitch to voters is to “rerun not just one referendum, but two”
She accused the First Minister of using “everything she can lay her hands on to push for the only thing that she cares about”, another independence referendum.
Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said Ms Sturgeon had “distorted” past votes to boost her drive for independence, and warned a vote for the SNP or the Scottish Greens risked confusing any anti-Brexit message.
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He said: “If support for the SNP or the Green Party rises, if you’re sitting in London you will think, ‘Is this really about Brexit? Or is this about independence?’
“We know that the SNP have distorted people’s support in the past, they’ve misused it, and we don’t want them to do that again.”
He added: “We know that the Greens are strong advocates for independence, and we don’t know how they’ll use it in this election.”
Mr Rennie was campaigning in Edinburgh with his party’s UK leader Sir Vince Cable, who insisted the Tory Party is falling apart.
Mr Cable said Labour voters had “given up in disgust” at the party’s fence-sitting over Brexit, while “decent, middle-of-the-road” Tories were also shifting their support.
He called for a second EU referendum and said he had “no problems” with a no-deal Brexit being an option on the ballot paper.
He said: “The country is in a dangerous situation. We can’t run away from this issue. We’ve got to stop Brexit.
“In practice, the only way you can do it in a proper, open, democratic way is to have a People’s Vote on the subject.
“It may be that we get to October and we haven’t had a resolution, and we will simply have to revoke it in Parliament. But let’s go through the democratic choice.”
Earlier, the Scottish Greens’ top EU candidate, Maggie Chapman, stressed the election “isn’t about Scottish independence”, adding: “It’s about the broader issues of stopping Brexit and tackling climate breakdown.”
She said: “The Greens have been consistent in our position on membership of the EU, and we know that we need that membership in order to tackle the big issue of the day, which is climate breakdown.
“We are not fighting this election as a proxy for independence, but obviously the broader constitutional question of Scotland’s position within the UK – it exists, that context is there.”
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Ms Chapman said a vote for the Greens is a “very clear statement of intent” over climate change.
She said: “There’s no point in just stopping Brexit for stopping Brexit’s sake. It’s got to be for something.”
In an open letter to voters, Ms Sturgeon said the SNP is campaigning hard to stop Brexit and working with other parties in a bid to secure a second EU referendum.
She added: “In Scotland the best way to bring about that outcome is to vote SNP. We are by some distance the strongest pro-European party, therefore a vote for the SNP is the most effective means to ensure remain supporting MEPs are elected.”
She added: “On the other side of the debate, those who favour an extreme Brexit – a no-deal outcome – are stepping up their efforts.
“That means there is a real danger we will all be at the mercy of further in-fighting among hard-liners at Westminster for years to come, so if ever there was a time to make a stand for a better future it is now.”
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