Nicola Sturgeon says SNP will seek ‘progressive alliance’ with Labour and Liberal Democrats to keep out the Conservatives
NICOLA STURGEON will seek to join forces with Labour and the Liberal Democrats to keep out the Conservatives, she said today.
On a visit to her Westminster MPs in Parliament today, the First Minister confirmed that she wants to jump into bed with other left-wing parties in the case of another hung parliament.
She said this morning: "If the Parliamentary arithmetic lends itself to the SNP being part of a progressive alliance to keep the Tories out of Government then the SNP will seek to be part of that as we said in 2015."
In the last election the prospect of a deal between Labour and the SNP was used by the Tories to scare voters off backing Ed Miliband - and the same tactic could be used again.
Theresa May stunned Westminster yesterday by calling for a snap poll on June 8. She will try and pass a vote to approve it today in Parliament.
"Now we are not sure that there are many people who think Labour will be in a position on their own or with anyone else to form a Government," Ms Sturgeon said today.
"There will be many people across England who will see that as a matter for regret."
The SNP leader said she would not enter into a formal Coalition agreement like the Tories and Lib Dems did in 2010.
Instead she sould seek to support the other left-wing parties on a vote-by-vote basis.
"I was simply stating the fact as I did in 2015 that I don’t want to see a Tory Government so if there I was a Parliamentary artithmetic that lent itself to keeping the Tories out of Government I would want to see that happen."
But she said she didn't think that a hung parliament was likely - with the Tories 21 points ahead in the latest poll.
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The Scottish First Minister said yesterday that a fresh vote would bolster new support for another referendum on Scottish independence.
But today Mrs May hit out at her - saying she would "cook up a deal" to suit her and Jeremy Corbyn.
The PM said: "The truth is that it’s only the Scottish Conservatives at this election who can be trusted to stand up for our Union, and work to get the best Brexit deal for all of us."
