Scots must “unite as country”, says Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon today called for Scotland to “unite as a country” behind the SNP, after Ed Miliband’s warning he would rather lose the election than deal with the Nationalists.

First Minister and leader of the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon. Picture: Jane Barlow

The First Minister said Mr Miliband has been “pushed around” by the Tories over the prospect of working with the SNP. David Cameron’s party has been ramping up concerns over the SNP holding the balace of power. Tory activists wearing Nicola Sturgeon masks congregated outside Westminster today behind a banner stating “Next Friday We’ll make Ed Miliband PM.”

Ms Sturgeon continued her helicopter tour of Scotland today and will make campaign stops in East Lothian, Dundee and Fife.

The SNP is claiming Mr Miliband’s move last night will “galvanise more people to vote SNP” to give Scotland a decisive position in the House of Commons.

“If the opinion polls in recent days have made anything clear, it is that Scotland has an unrivalled opportunity to make our voice heard at Westminster like never before,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“By uniting as a country - north, south, east and west - to elect a big group of SNP MPs, Scotland gains the decisive position at Westminster needed to ensure that the interests of people across Scotland are not ignored in the way they too often have been in the past.

“Ed Miliband’s disastrous revelation that he would rather let the Tories back in than work with the SNP to keep them out will galvanise even more people to vote SNP. Already, more than half a million people who voted Labour at the last General Election are journeying to voting SNP next Thursday.

“Ed Miliband has allowed his campaign to be be dictated and pushed around by the Tories south of the border - and Labour will pay a heavy price in Scotland.”

It is now even more important that Scotland unites to elect a big group of MPs, Ms Sturgeon added, to give Scotland a “decisive position” at Westminster, and “lock the Tories out.”

She added: “SNP MPs will lead from the front when it comes to opposing cuts and protecting the NHS that means so much to people all over Scotland and across the UK - in contrast to the Westminster establishment parties that are signed up to billions of pounds of further austerity cuts.

“The SNP are the only party that can genuinely say we are winning support from across the whole of Scotland, and we are working hard to win the trust of people all across Scotland on polling day.

“On the 7th of May we have the opportunity to ensure that the needs of all of Scotland’s communities are heard more loudly and clearly at Westminster than ever before.”