Yousaf: Vote SNP to prevent Scotland being ‘ignored’ by Starmer

Humza Yousaf has told Scots that voting for the SNP in the general election will ensure Scotland is not “ignored” by Sir Keir Starmer when he moves into Downing Street.

With Labour comfortably ahead in the polls, the SNP leader said it is “very clear now” that Sir Keir will be the next prime minister.

The Scottish First Minister said backing his party could make Scotland a “Tory-free zone”, and he stressed the role SNP MPs could seek to have on a future UK Labour government.

He was speaking as he officially launched the SNP campaign for the general election almost certain to take place at some point this year.

Addressing the event in Glasgow, Mr Yousaf said the election is a “huge opportunity for Scotland”.

While declaring “Rishi Sunak is finished as PM”, he focused much of his speech on Sir Keir’s Labour Party.

Mr Yousaf told the audience of SNP MPs and party supporters: “Keir Starmer doesn’t need Scotland to win the election.

“Scotland needs SNP MPs to make sure that we are not ignored and that Scotland’s voice is heard.”

He said the “fundamental choice before the people of Scotland” is between electing Labour MPs who will “stand up for Keir Starmer and Westminster”, or backing his party to “elect an SNP MP who will stand up for Scotland and ensure we are not ignored”.

Mr Yousaf attacked Labour for its support of Brexit, and warned Sir Keir’s party could follow Conservative policies on areas such as public spending.

“Time after time, when people are looking for leadership, Labour under Keir Starmer has been posted missing,” he said.

“With Labour leading the Tories by 20-25 points in the polls, this would be the time for Keir Starmer to be bold and to be radical.

“Instead, he spends his time attempting to neutralise Tory attacks by imitating their policies.”

Mr Yousaf went on to vow his party’s MPs would seek to “work constructively with a Labour government to introduce measures for a fairer country”.

But he also promised they would look to prevent a future Labour government from “backsliding on green investment” and look to “protect the NHS from creeping privatisation at Westminster”.

He said the SNP remains focused on independence – repeating a previous commitment that “page one, line one of the SNP election manifesto will say ‘Vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country'”.

Here, Mr Yousaf argued that independence is necessary because on issues such as the economy and living standards, Labour and the Conservatives are “offering more of the same”.

He said: “Economic decline is still decline, even if they manage it more competently.”

Insisting the election will be an “important moment for Scotland’s independence movement”, Mr Yousaf said Sir Keir will “use every single vote for Labour in Scotland as a vote against independence”.

The SNP leader had earlier conceded the case for independence will move “backwards” if his party loses seats at Westminster.

He told BBC Radio Scotland: “If the message in Scotland is that Scotland votes for Labour MPs, and if that is the message that Keir Starmer sees, then of course that will take our independence backwards.”

But he was clear “the SNP will never stop campaigning for independence”, pledging his party will “continue to campaign for independence regardless of what the election results are, regardless of how many seats we have in any Parliament”.

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: “It’s clear that Humza Yousaf intends to spend from now until polling day sticking his fingers in his ears and repeating ‘Independence, independence, independence’, in a desperate bid to shore up his feuding, scandal-ridden party’s dwindling base.

“That shows the SNP’s utter contempt for the Scottish public, who want and expect politicians to focus on what matters to them – including economic growth and public services.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: “Today’s speech from Humza Yousaf was nothing more than another desperate attempt to reset the SNP’s failing political strategy.

“From talking down the influence that Scottish voters have to desperately moving the electoral goal posts, it is clear that the SNP is in trouble.”