NICOLA Sturgeon has reaffirmed her desire to hold a Scottish independence referendum next year, as she campaigned on the eve of the General Election.
Amid claims the SNP's calls for a 2020 vote have become less prominent after polls suggested support for independence has plateaued, Sturgeon said: "I want a referendum next year."
The First Minister also said her "message has been consistent throughout the campaign", in response to the suggestion she has stopped pushing her desired timetable for another referendum.
"I want a referendum next year," she said. "My message at the start of this campaign was vote SNP to keep Boris Johnson out of office, to escape Brexit and to put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands.
"My message at the end of this campaign is to vote SNP to keep Boris Johnson out of office, to escape Brexit and to put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands.
"And Scotland's future in Scotland's hands is – in my view – allowing a choice on independence next year."
WATCH: Boris Johnson 'hides in fridge' to avoid Good Morning Britain interview
The SNP leader has repeatedly said Scotland should have the powers to decide to hold a re-run of the 2014 vote, but Boris Johnson has promised to never allow another referendum while he is Prime Minister and Jeremy Corbyn has said it would not happen "in the first years of a Labour government".
In order to stage another referendum, the Scottish Parliament would need to obtain Section 30 powers, which currently need to be granted by Westminster.
On the final day of the campaign, Sturgeon said recent polling suggests a Conservative victory is "not inevitable", and she urged Scots to back the SNP in Tory-held seats to deny Johnson a majority.
She said: "I think the message from the YouGov poll couldn't be clearer – a Tory victory is not inevitable, it can be stopped. But in Scotland, where the SNP is the challenger to the Tories, that means voting SNP.
"There's not a single Labour/Tory marginal in Scotland and voting for other parties – whether that is Labour or the Liberal Democrats – risks letting the Tories in the back door.
"So vote SNP if you don't want Boris Johnson as Prime Minister."
READ MORE: SNP forecast to win more than 40 seats in latest YouGov poll
The First Minister was speaking outside a florist in the Edinburgh South seat, having visited a community greengrocer earlier.
Asked why she was campaigning in a constituency won in 2017 by Labour's Ian Murray rather than seats where the SNP is hoping to overcome Conservative incumbents, Sturgeon said she is "fighting everywhere".
She said she will spend the final day of campaigning visiting a variety of seats, including the East Dunbartonshire constituency where LibDem leader Jo Swinson is standing.
Sturgeon said: "I'm fighting to win every constituency because I think it's better for Scotland to have strong SNP voices making sure our interests are heard, and that's why there's not a single constituency that's off-limits for the SNP.
"But it is absolutely true to say that the SNP is the challenger in every Tory-held seat and that's why if we want to help lock Boris Johnson out, you've got to vote SNP in Scotland."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel