Labour say every vote for the SNP helps David Cameron back into power
NICOLA Sturgeon will make a speech at the University College London today lambasting the UK’s economic strategy of austerity.
Sturgeon will tell the audience: “The UK government’s economic policy has failed: categorically and comprehensively. And not by my reckoning, but on the UK government’s own terms.
“Perhaps most damagingly of all for the UK government’s credibility, it has failed to meet its own deficit reduction targets.
“But what the UK government is now telling us is this: austerity hasn’t worked, so we need even more of it.”
Sturgeon will state that growth, productivity and fairness are the drivers of a long-term economic recovery, adding that “austerity economics” has “comprehensively failed”.
Sturgeon will also say that she hopes the SNP can “exert a beneficial influence” in the next Westminster government, as polls show the SNP are heading for the party’s biggest tranche of MPs ever, with neither the Tories nor Labour set for enough votes to govern on its own.
Margaret Curran, Labour Shadow Scottish Secretary, responded by stating: “Scotland can’t afford another five years of David Cameron, but Nicola Sturgeon wants to help the Tories get back into power.
“Every vote for the SNP in May is another boost for David Cameron, and makes it more likely that he will be Prime Minister for another five years.”
Alistair Carmichael, Lib-Dem Scottish Secretary, said Sturgeon was wrong on the economy.
“Whether Nicola Sturgeon likes it or not, this government has cut borrowing by PS52bn from the level we inherited.
“That’s why the markets have regained confidence, the cost of borrowing and mortgages is at a record low, and we are vying with the United States for the strongest economic growth in the G7.” Carmichael said.
The SNP signed up to an “anti-austerity alliance” in December last year with their Welsh sister party Plaid Cymru and the Green Party.
The SNP have said they would only participate in a coalition or ‘supply and demand’ deal with Labour after the General Election if they agreed to scrap Trident and have no more austerity. The nationalists have ruled out any deal with the Conservatives.