Labour the only party that can stop the SNP, claims Ian Murray

Scotland's sole Labour MP will claim only his party can stop the SNP and their demands for another divisive'' independence referendum.

Ian Murray will kickstart his bid to be re-elected with an attack on both Nicola Sturgeon's party and the Conservatives.

Voters in his Edinburgh South constituency are sick and fed-up'' with SNP demands for a second vote on leaving the UK, he will say.

He will argue nationalists are only able to press for another referendum on independence because of the Tories' reckless Brexit gamble''.

Mr Murray was the only Labour MP in Scotland to survive the nationalist landslide in 2015 in which the SNP won 56 of the 59 seats up for grabs.

Senior Labour figures including then shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander and former Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy were ousted two years ago.

Mr Murray managed to hold his seat with a majority of 2,637 over the SNP and will come under pressure from the nationalists again.

As he started his election campaign, he said: People in Edinburgh South and across Scotland are sick and fed-up of the SNP's obsession with another divisive independence referendum.

People who voted No to independence are angry at Ruth Davidson's broken promise to defend the Union.

The nationalists are only able to agitate for another divisive independence referendum because of the Tories' reckless Brexit gamble.

In constituencies across Scotland, it is only Labour that can stop the SNP.

In Edinburgh South, I am the only candidate who can stop the SNP - the Tories are not at the races.

Edinburgh South doesn't need another backbench Tory MP cheerleading the campaign for a hard Brexit or another SNP MP cheerleading the campaign for Scottish independence.

Up and down the country, even those who may have not voted Labour before will know that we are the only party that can stop the SNP.''