SNP urges voters to stem 'unprecedented' Tory assault

The SNP has urged voters across Scotland to unite behind its candidates on election day to prevent an ''unprecedented'' assault by the Tory government on the incomes of pensioners and working families.

Highlighting its final campaign leaflet, which contrasts a Conservative vote with a vote for the SNP, Depute Leader Angus Robertson said his party would always stand up for family budgets.

Mr Robertson said the election campaign had ''completely exposed'' Conservative Party plans to hit family incomes and the incomes of older people.

He said: ''There is a very real cost of voting Tory in this election - that is made abundantly clear in their manifesto.

The Tories are planning nothing less than an unprecedented assault on the incomes of pensioners - abandoning the Triple Lock that guarantees fair state pension increases, cutting the winter fuel payment, and the notorious dementia tax.

But working families are also set to pay the price, with more freezes to benefits and a repeated refusal to rule out tax rises for people on basic incomes.''

He said families could not afford five years of ''unchecked'' Tory government.

Mr Robertson added: ''With polls narrowing across the UK, whether or not the Tories can increase their majority could come down to the votes in Scotland.

I would urge all people in Scotland - even if they don't normally vote SNP - to elect SNP MPs this Thursday to provide a progressive opposition to Tory cuts.

Now more than ever, it is vital that we have strong SNP voices at Westminster standing up for Scotland.''

The Scottish Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, will illustrate that it is them who will oust the SNP from Scottish seats.

Willie Rennie will use a campaign visit to East Dunbartonshire on Sunday to say they will ''sweep the SNP out'' and stop another divisive independence referendum.

He is expected to say: ''For years the SNP have tried to hide the problems they have created due to their constitutional obsession.

However this year people in Scotland are not buying it. The First Minister, her predecessor and countless others have made it clear that this election is all about independence. The First Minister can't run away from it this time.

In seats across the country it is the Liberal Democrats that are set to sweep the SNP out and in these key areas people should back the Liberal Democrats to change the direction of this country and send a message to the SNP that they cannot keep sweeping our problems under the carpet.''

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: ''With its endless threat of a referendum re-run, nothing poses more of a threat to family incomes in Scotland than the SNP.

Angus Robertson would happily jeopardise the financial wellbeing of every family in Scotland with his selfish drive to break up Britain.''