Last day of election campaigning

Scottish party leaders are crossing Scotland in a final appeal to voters

Author: Rob WallerPublished 5th May 2021

As the Scottish Parliament election campaign draws to a close Nicola Sturgeon has accused her rivals in Labour and the Tories of "running the most negative-based campaign in the history of devolution''.

The SNP leader will travel from Aberdeenshire to Dumbarton ahead of Thursday's vote.

While the SNP are certain to emerge again as the largest party in the Scottish Parliament, Ms Sturgeon is fighting hard in a bid to win an overall majority of MSPs - allowing her to make a further push to hold a second independence referendum.

Speaking on the final day of campaigning, she said: "The result of every Scottish Parliament election is always on a knife-edge, nothing can be taken for granted - so please don't leave it to chance: make it both votes SNP.''

Brown joins Labour for last day

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is joining Scottish Labour's campaign for a final push alongside the new leader, Anas Sarwar, who believes he represents the future of Scotland.

He's aiming to make Labour a "credible opposition'' at Holyrood and believes their "national recovery plan'' has struck a chord with voters who want the next parliament to "rebuild the country we all love''.

"Anyone that is looking at us can see that we are a future-looking Labour Party.

"I think I represent the future of the Labour Party and - I hope - also the future for Scotland."

Turning down the temperature

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has said co-operation and civility in politics would return if a referendum on Scottish independence is averted.

A Holyrood magazine poll earlier this year found 70% of 67 MSPs asked had feared for their safety since they were elected.

Speaking last week, Mr Ross said: "We have seen that politics has become more adversarial, less collegiate and what have we achieved as a result?

"I want to look at the areas where we can work together and there's no doubt that if we can get rid of the threat of another independence referendum, then we can focus and work together on recovery and rebuilding.

"We might have slightly different paths to achieve what we think we need to, but there will be opportunities to work together.''

Lib Dems confident

Willie Rennie has said he is confident the Scottish Liberal Democrats can make gains at the Holyrood election to avoid "so much political energy being wasted'' on an independence referendum.

The Scottish Lib Dem leader said depriving the SNP of a majority after Thursday's vote should put an end to its "constitutional obsession'' for at least five years.

Mr Rennie said: "I think most people would recognise - in the wake of a deadly pandemic where thousands of people have lost their lives and thousands more have lost their job - that maybe now is not the moment to pursue another referendum that inevitably, no matter what the best intentions are, is going to divide the country."

Greens look for gains

Other parties' focus on the regional list vote in the election will end up helping the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie has said.

The co-leader said voters were becoming increasingly conscious of how they would use both votes in successive Holyrood elections: "Quite often it feels as if the Tory and Labour campaigns are modelled on the Green campaign in 2003, when we were the only party saying 'give us your regional vote, that's the one we want'.

He said that despite speculation, neither the SNP nor the Greens had been "floating'' the idea of a coalition between the two parties after the election."

Alba the big unknown

Alex Salmond says he's confident his Alba party, launched just days before the official start of the campaign, will make a breakthrough:

"We've now had seven opinion polls showing we will get some representation, which is great, but I'm basing it on street reaction and I can tell you Alba is rising across the country and we're going to surprise many people come Thursday.

"If we get that foothold in the Scottish Parliament then we will shake things up for Scotland."

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