General election: Nicola Sturgeon sets out price of SNP's support for Labour government
The Scottish first minister says there's "every chance" the SNP could hold the balance of power at Westminster after 12 December.
Wednesday 27 November 2019 14:37, UK
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has set out the price of the SNP's support for propping up a Labour minority government in Westminster.
The SNP leader, launching her party's manifesto in Glasgow, warned she would not offer a "blank cheque" to Jeremy Corbyn or any Labour leader in order to help put them in 10 Downing Street.
Ms Sturgeon told SNP supporters there is "every chance" the SNP will hold the balance of power at Westminster following the 12 December general election, should neither the Conservatives nor Labour win a majority.
She said she could "never" support Boris Johnson as prime minister in the event of a hung parliament, but offered SNP support to Mr Corbyn at the head of a Labour minority government.
However, setting out the terms of any such deal, Ms Sturgeon demanded:
- A second Scottish independence referendum;
- An end to austerity and the reversal of what Ms Sturgeon said was a £1.5bn real terms cut in Scotland's budget since 2010;
- The removal of the Trident nuclear weapons programme from Scotland;
- A funding boost of more than £4bn by 2024/25 for the NHS in Scotland;
- Legislation to guarantee future trade deals protect the NHS, with the Scottish parliament required to give its consent for any agreement;
- An increase in parental leave with 12 weeks to be ring-fenced for fathers, as well as increases in statutory maternity and paternity pay;
- Further devolution of powers to the Scottish parliament, including on employment and drugs laws.
Ms Sturgeon urged Scottish voters to support the SNP at the election, describing it as a "vote to escape Brexit, lock Boris Johnson out of Downing Street, and put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands".
She condemned the "constant chaos" at Westminster since the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, which saw Scottish voters choose to remain part of the UK.
"The leaders of the No campaign, made up of the Westminster parties, promised that if we voted No, we would get stability," she said.
"Since then, the Westminster parties have delivered not stability, but constant chaos and three UK general elections."
The SNP leader claimed Scotland will pay "a heavy price for the Tories' Brexit obsession" and - attacking Mr Corbyn's vow not to campaign as prime minister during a second EU referendum - she attacked "Labour's neutrality, or to give it its proper description, Labour's woeful lack of leadership."
Ms Sturgeon defended her offer to support Mr Corbyn as the head of a minority Labour government, despite saying she "deplores" the Labour leader's "lack of leadership on the issue of antisemitism".
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the UK's most senior Jewish leader, made an explosive intervention against Mr Corbyn this week, as he alleged a "new poison - sanctioned from the very top - has taken root" in Labour.
Questioned about the prospect of supporting Mr Corbyn as prime minister, Ms Sturgeon replied: "I would rather Scotland wasn't in the position of having to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea as the prime minister of our country.
"I make no bones about that. I could never support Boris Johnson as prime minister for a whole host of reasons.
"On issues of racism and racist comments, he certainly has a charge sheet of his own to answer there.
"I would expect any prime minister, any candidate for prime minister, to absolutely take on these issues centrally."
She added: "I can't decide the outcome of the election in England, but if Jeremy Corbyn is in a position and Labour is in a position to form a minority government - then better to have the influence of the SNP in there.
"The decent SNP MPs that will make sure the right values are to the fore on the part of any government."
Earlier this week, Mr Corbyn insisted Labour was "not negotiating with other parties" ahead of polling day and is fighting to win a majority government, as he remained coy on how the party would act in a hung parliament.
But Lord Kerslake, the former head of the civil service who is now advising Labour on their preparations for government, admitted Mr Corbyn's position as leader and the prospect of a second Scottish independence referendum would "no doubt" form part of post-election talks with other parties.
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