Nicola Sturgeon avoids talk of independence as she unveils manifesto vowing to meddle in English politics
The SNP today promised to hike taxes across the UK and oppose Tory austerity plans
NICOLA STURGEON today attempted to avoid the topic of Scottish independence as she vowed to oppose the Tories' economic policies.
Launching the SNP manifesto, Scotland's First Minister said that the party would repeatedly meddle with issues which only affect England and Wales.
But she tried to steer the conversation away from the question of a second independence referendum - and even accused the Conservatives of being obsessed with the issue.
The manifesto pledges to increase taxes, oppose public spending cuts and push for a softer Brexit.
Ms Sturgeon - who was last night accused of creating an "atmosphere of fear" in Scotland - set out the manifesto in Perth, where the local SNP MP is locked in a tough fight against his Tory rival.
She promised to "make Scotland's voice heard and build a better country", claiming that Scottish Labour cannot hold Theresa May to account.
The manifesto promises to hike the minimum wage above £10, raise the top rate of tax to 50p, scrap the 1 per cent cap on public sector wage growth and resist all benefits cuts.
However, she did not mention the issue of independence, which has propelled the SNP to its current dominance, for the first 15 minutes.
Ms Sturgeon finally said: "At the end of the Brexit process - not now, but when the terms of the deal are known - Scotland must have the chance to determine our future.
"Any continued Tory attempt to stop Scotland having a choice, when the time is right and the options are clear, would be democratically unsustainable."
Ms Sturgeon said being taken out of the EU and the single market would pose "a real danger to our farmers and fisherman, our universities, our food and drink businesses, to almost every sector of our economy".
She denied the suggestion that if the SNP, as predicted, loses MPs then its mandate to call a second referendum would be diminished.
The First Minister told supporters: "The party that gets more seats than any other party wins the election, that's democracy."
And she mocked the Scottish Tories for campaigning against another referendum, saying: "Ruth Davidson is going around Scotland saying I talk about nothing other than independence - the thing is, she talks about it so much that I don't get a chance to talk about it.
"What I'm talking about in this election is how we get rid of Tory austerity."
The manifesto says that success in this General Election would mean a "triple lock" on a second independence vote.
The SNP claims that victory in last year's Holyrood elections and the Scottish Parliament's vote for a referendum provide the other two prongs of the mandate.
On public spending, Ms Sturgeon said her manifesto represented a "clear alternative to continued austerity".
She added: "For the Tories, austerity cuts are not simply a policy response to a particular economic situation. They are political dogma - an ideology."
SNP MPs at Westminster would support the reversal of the two-child cap on tax credits, with Ms Sturgeon pledging: "We will campaign tirelessly against the immoral 'rape clause' that goes with it - a policy that shames every Tory candidate who supports it."
And she promised to maintain the triple lock on pensions, which the Tories are proposing to abolish.
The pledges on tax and spending come despite the fact that many of the issues do not affect Scotland because devolution means the Scottish Parliament can set its own policies.
For example, Ms Sturgeon wants to bring in a 50p tax rate in England and Wales even though she has opted not to raise taxes north of the border.
While the SNP will not be able to enact any of its policies at Westminster on its own, the party is keen to team up with Labour and the Lib Dems to oppose Theresa May's Government.
Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Tories, said: "Nicola Sturgeon tried her usual trick today of trying to ignore independence in her speech but making sure she's pushing for it in her manifesto. Nobody is fooled any more.
"Strip away the bluster and it's written down in black and white - she wants to drag Scotland back to another referendum by as early as next autumn."
Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, added: "The SNP must think we are stupid.
"They barely mentioned independence today but we know independence will be their top priority once the election is over."
And Conservative chairman Patrick McLoughlin warned that Ms Sturgeon would be ready to prop up Jeremy Corbyn in power.
Last night Labour's only MP in Scotland, Ian Murray, slammed SNP web trolls, saying their approach to politics is, "If you lose the argument, smear."
And he called on Ms Sturgeon to reign in the aggression which has "completely corroded" Scottish politics.
The SNP is notorious for its army of "cybernats" who harrass supporters of the Union on the internet.
Mr Murray pointed to the example of a nurse who challenged Ms Sturgeon on spending cuts during a live debate and was then smeared online.
He : "The SNP have been doing this for a long time.
"It starts at the top and goes right the way through their entire organisation, right down to their membership and their supporters: if you lose the argument, smear.
"They want to try to create an atmosphere of fear where people don’t speak out."
A number of businesses have in the past faced boycotts from SNP supporters and even politicians after they expressed concerns about Scottish independence.
Mr Murray - who is hoping to keep his Edinburgh South seat - also described how he had been the subject of false rumours that he laughed at a local family being evicted.
He said that the fight against toxic politics "starts at the very, very top", adding: "Nicola Sturgeon needs to reflect very seriously about what she’s doing to this country."
Deputy leader Angus Robertson said this morning that he wants to boost immigration to Scotland despite the Brexit vote.
Talking about the 400,000 immigrants currently living north of the border, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We need all those people to remain in Scotland.
"We want the opportunity for people to come and to go, and what we certainly don't want is a restrictive immigration policy imposed on us by Westminster.
MOST READ IN POLITICS
";Scotland is not full, our problem has not been immigration in the past, it has been emigration."
Asked to put a number on how many more immigrants he wants to see in Britain, Mr Robertson refused.
The party is calling for Scottish voters to support SNP MPs who can stand up to Theresa May.
Mr May has vowed to stop Ms Sturgeon holding another referendum until after the Brexit process it complete.
However, Jeremy Corbyn says that if he becomes Prime Minister he will negotiate with the SNP about the timing of a vote.
Polls suggest the party will lose some of its 56 MPs as the Tories improve their position in Scotland.