Scottish Labour Leader targets pro-remain, pro-union voters

The Scottish Labour leader will use a major campaign speech to appeal to voters in Scotland who backed remaining in the EU and the UK.

Speaking in Glasgow, Kezia Dugdale will say these voters are a “majority for change” and are not served by either the SNP or the Conservatives.

She will accuse the Tories and SNP of trying to hijack the result of the Scottish independence and EU referendums and argue that a vote for Labour rejects the “extremes” of both those parties.

Ms Dugdale will say: “In the face of some of the greatest challenges our country has ever faced, the choice at this election is being presented as one between a Scottish National Party with no programme to speak of and an emboldened Tory Party that is pushing a hard Brexit at all costs.

“We cannot allow this to be the choice at this election - because it doesn't represent what the vast majority of people in this country want.

“Across Scotland, people voted both to remain in the UK and remain in Europe.

“But our votes are being hijacked by Tory and SNP politicians who want to use how we voted in referendums and general elections to assume something about the kind of future we want to see.

“As a Labour Party, we put ourselves on the side of the vast majority of people across our country who rejected a hard Brexit and rejected independence.”

She will add: “There is a clear majority in this country in favour of that vision of our society. And I want to appeal to them today.

“They are the majority for change. A majority who aren't served by either the Tories or the SNP.

“They are the people who are sick of the Tories' lack of compassion, and the SNP's obsession with another referendum.

“And who just want us to be getting on with the job of governing and changing people's lives.

“In three weeks, the Scottish Labour candidate on the ballot paper is the option to reject the extremes of both the SNP and the Tories.”

Ms Dugdale will also highlight key election promises for Scotland in the “radical and transformative” UK manifesto launched by party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday, including opposing a second Scottish independence referendum, introducing a £10 real living wage, creating a Scottish Investment Bank and having a People's Constitutional Convention.

Scottish Labour will publish its own manifesto next week.

Scottish Labour business manager James Kelly said: “A decade of SNP government has meant a decade of division for Scotland.

“Rather than break down the barriers that hold the poorest in our country from getting a fair chance in life, the SNP government has simply broken promise after promise.

“Whether it was scrapping the council tax, cutting classroom sizes or abolishing student debt the SNP's promises have not been worth the paper their manifestos have been printed on.”

Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie said: “People are getting tired of the SNP and all their promises.

“They haven't been anywhere near as good as many of their supporters had hoped back in 2007.”