Dugdale: SNP is playing '˜a broken record' on independence

Scottish Labour Leader Kezia Dugdale visits Rowans Flower Shop in Edinburgh. Picture: SWNS

Kezia Dugdale said standards had slipped during the SNP’s 10 years in power at Holyrood as it was more interested in securing another referendum.

The Labour leader visited North Berwick today to campaign with East Lothian candidate Martin Whitfield in one of the party’s key constituencies.

But the First Minister has claimed only the Nationalists are strong enough to win against the Conservatives in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon resumed campaigning nationwide today following yesterday's suspension. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

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Dugdale said: “On Thursday, people can send Nicola Sturgeon a message that she should focus on the day job, rather than forcing another independence referendum that people in Scotland don’t want.

“After ten years of the SNP campaigning for independence, Scotland’s schools and hospitals have suffered. Nicola Sturgeon’s answer is another referendum - she is playing a broken record.

“On Thursday, voters can elect a Labour MP who will spend every day fighting for local services, or they can elect an SNP MP who will spend every day campaigning for another divisive independence referendum.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw MSP said:

“It could not be clearer. The SNP are actively lining up to do a deal with Labour to get a second independence referendum – because they know that Jeremy Corbyn as PM is ‘absolutely fine’ with a second referendum.

“Across Scotland, only the Conservatives can stand up against the SNP now.

“So if you’ve had enough of Nicola Sturgeon, use your vote on Thursday to send Nicola Sturgeon a message she can’t ignore: we’ve had enough – take a second independence referendum off the table and get back to the day job.”

The First Minister claimed that only voting SNP in Scotland could limit or deny a Conservative majority at Westminster.

The SNP leader said Labour groups on councils across Scotland had helped put the Tories into power, most notably in Aberdeen where the entire Labour council group accepted suspensions in order to do a dodgy deal with the Tories.

“Let’s be very clear – votes for Labour in Scotland will risk letting Tory MPs in by the back door, and only the SNP can stand up to the Tories in Westminster,” Sturgeon said.

“Given the narrowing of the polls in the rest of the UK, there is now every chance that a vote for the SNP can deny the Tories the crushing victory that they so arrogantly predicted at the start of the campaign.

“Indeed, some polls now indicate Scotland could be pivotal in deciding this election, with the issue of how big a Tory majority is – or whether they have one at all – decided here.”