With all the votes now counted, the Conservatives now have a clear majority at Westminster. They have 365 seats, while the Labour Party had a disastrous night – their worst since the 1930s.
But while England voted to ‘get Brexit done’, it was a markedly different story north of the border where the SNP cemented their position as the dominant force in Scottish politics, winning 48 of the 59 seats- a rise of 13. Continue reading Comments on the general election result
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday:
Tomorrow we go to the polls in an election which could determine Scotland’s future path for many years to come.
Brexit, the NHS, and the very future of Scotland are at stake – and the nightmare scenario is surely the possibility of 5 years of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.
Chaos, confusion and a rallying of his right wing Brexiteers have been the hallmarks of Boris Johnson’s time in Downing Street. All of that – coupled with the damage of austerity and welfare cuts – means that this us the the time to end the Tories’ ruinous reign.
This election campaign has certainly flown by – and for those of us pounding the streets, it’s fair to say that the month of December wouldn’t be our first choice to be out knocking doors.
I’ve been out and about all over Scotland speaking to people, and although the weather may have been cold, the reception for the SNP’s message in this campaign has been warm.
But while I’ve been out and about speaking to people, Boris Johnson seems to be going to all sorts of lengths to avoid scrutiny. He has dodged TV interviews and debates left, right and centre – and has done his level best to avoid speaking to ordinary voters in Scotland.
It is little wonder he refuses to be challenged on his policies when all the evidence is that they will cause such deep and lasting damage to our NHS, workers’ rights, the economy and to living standards for this and generations to come.
Boris Johnson’s repeated claim that Brexit will effectively be wrapped up by Christmas is the biggest con since the one painted on the side of the Vote Leave bus – and it demonstrates why people are right not to trust him.
The truth is that Brexit will not be ‘done’ any time soon – even if Boris Johnson succeeds in dragging Scotland out of the EU with the UK. What follows will be years – potentially decades – of arguing over trade deals and future relationships. Let’s remember that leaving was supposed to be the easy part.
This brings me to another issue that is on the line in this election – the NHS. Although health is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, meaning the Scottish Government has responsibility for running Scotland’s NHS, we don’t have control over things like trade negotiations – and these could have a fundamental effect on our health service.
Notwithstanding all the panicky denials during the campaign, we know that Boris Johnson is desperate to do a trade deal with Donald Trump. We also know that US drug firms want ‘full market access’ to the NHS, and we know that Donald Trump would jump at the chance to charge our NHS more for drugs.
All of that could be devastating for our NHS budget. Even a 20% increase in drug prices would take hundreds of millions of pounds out of the frontline NHS budget.
Putting the NHS up for negotiation in any such talks would threaten the founding principles of the health service. In short, a re-elected Boris Johnson government poses perhaps the biggest threat to the NHS in its 70-plus year history.
I believe people in Scotland deserve a lot better than this as their future – and in tomorrow’s election we have a chance to aim higher than Boris Johnson and the sorry mess of Brexit.
SNP MPs will demand an end to austerity, an extra £4 billion for Scotland’s NHS, as well as guaranteed protection for the NHS from a Trump trade deal. We will push for fairer pensions, enhanced maternity and parental leave, stronger action on climate change and an end to the misery of Universal two, the child cap on tax credits and the shameful rape clause.
And for Scotland, we can ensure that decisions about our future are made by the people who live here – not by Westminster.
That is the fundamental point of independence.
Scotland has so much potential. From our successful industries of renewables, tourism, financial services and life sciences, to our highly educated workforce – many countries can only dream of having the resources that we so often take for granted.
Independence would unlock all of this potential, and build a better and brighter future for the people living here.
But whatever your views on Scotland’s constitutional future, surely we can all agree that our future should be decided by people living here, and not imposed on us by the likes of Boris Johnson.
This election will not decide the question of independence – but it does give us a chance to protect Scotland’s right to choose our own future.
So I am asking people to look ahead – not just to the next few weeks, but towards the future we all want to see for Scotland.
Do we want 5 years of Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and the Brexit extremists, imposing draconian policies on Scotland and dragging us out of the EU against our will?
Or do we want Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands?
I think the choice is clear. And that brighter, better future is possible if Scotland votes SNP tomorrow.
In his polling day message to voters, Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked the public to vote Conservative:
“As we reach the end of this election campaign, let’s pause to remember why it’s happening in the first place.
“When I became your Prime Minister, I set out to strike a new deal with the European Union that would honour the referendum by taking back control of our laws, borders, money and trade.
“There were many doomsters and gloom-mongers who said it couldn’t be done, but they were wrong. We got a fantastic new deal which finally delivers the change people voted for three and a half years ago.
“MPs had the chance to vote that deal through parliament and honour the promises they made to deliver Brexit. But instead they ignored the will of 17.4 million people and voted for more dither and delay.
“The last Parliament was so obsessed with arguing about Brexit, they were even arguing about arguing. They were not focusing on what you, the people, want.
“Enough is enough. This election is our chance to end the gridlock but the result is on a knife-edge.
“We could have another hung parliament with more of the same – more dither, more delay, more uncertainty. Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon are already stitching up deals to block Brexit in their coalition negotiations. They’d inflict on this country the chaos of two referendums next year, on Brexit and on Scottish independence. And, if that wasn’t enough, they’re plans would wreck our economy, with more borrowing and higher taxes.
“Or we could have a Conservative majority government which will get Brexit done and unleash Britain’s potential.
“If we can smash through the parliamentary gridlock, the Government will be able to concentrate on changing the country for the better – strengthening the NHS with £34 billion extra funding and 50,000 extra nurses, supporting schools with £150 million extra every week, keeping people safe with 20,000 more police officers on the streets. There’s a wave of investment just waiting to pour into this country, but only if we end the Brexit uncertainty.
“I want us to get Brexit done. I want to focus on your priorities. I want to unleash this country’s potential. Above all I want to end the division and bring this country back together again. Whether you voted Leave or Remain, you matter and your voice matters.
“Today is our chance to unite as a country and put the uncertainty to bed so people can get on with their lives. Just imagine how wonderful it will be to settle down to a turkey dinner this Christmas with Brexit decided – and how awful it would be if Corbyn and Sturgeon were in Downing Street advancing their plans for two more referendums.
“Let’s stop the chaos and stop the referendums. We can secure a majority Conservative government if we win just nine more seats.
“To every one of you who is fed up with the endless arguments and wants to move on, every one of you who wants us to respect the referendum result and deliver the change people voted for, every one of you who wants us to focus on a positive, united future, every one of you who worries about the chaos of a Corbyn-Sturgeon alliance in a hung parliament, my message is simple.
“Give me a majority and I will finish what we started – what you instructed us to do – three and a half years ago.
“A great future is there within our grasp, but I need your vote.
“Even if you have never voted Conservative before, this is your chance to be heard and I promise I will not let you down.
“So vote today to break the gridlock.
“Vote to get Brexit done.
“Vote to unleash Britain’s potential.
“Enough is enough. Let’s get it done.”
Speaking while out on the campaign trail last night Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, said:
“Tomorrow, people across the UK will go to vote and they have a choice. They can elect a government that they can trust. They can elect a government that will eliminate child poverty, end the cruelty and injustice of Universal Credit, give hope to the next generation by investing properly in health and education and deal with the climate emergency on the world stage.
“The only way of getting rid of a Tory government is voting Labour across the country. We need an end to austerity and a government that will give real hope and real security to people.
“There’s an issue of trust in politics. As out manifesto sets out, we want to create a society that works for everybody. But on the other side, can you honestly trust a Prime Minister who cannot tell the truth about talks with the Americans over the privatisation of our National Health Service?
“Who cannot tell the truth about the Brexit negotiations that he has so far failed to deliver on, or one who keeps on making promises that turn out to be a mirage the following day. When you go to vote, you need to know that the people you’re electing not just mean what they say but say what they mean and carry it out when they go into government.
“The choice is clear. Theirs is the party of billionaires, ours is the party of the many. Tomorrow you can vote for despair and vote for the dishonesty of this government, or you can vote Labour and get a government that can bring hope to the future.”
Liberal Democrat Leader Jo Swinson delivered her final speech of the election campaign in Esher and Walton, urging voters to back the Liberal Democrats to stop Boris Johnson getting a majority and stop Brexit.
Ms Swinson attended a series of rallies with activists throughout to the day including in the Conservative-held seats of Esher and Walton, Guildford and Wimbledon.
The Lib Dem leader said:
“My message today is clear. To stop Brexit, we must stop Boris Johnson. We have one more day left to do it.
“To all my fellow Lib Dem activists up and down the country – I say this: keep going. Keep fighting for every vote.
“And to everyone out there who has a growing pile of Lib Dem leaflets on their kitchen table: we can win where you live.
“You can stop another Conservative MP being elected. You can stop Boris Johnson from getting a majority he doesn’t deserve. You can help us stop Brexit.
“On Monday, Boris Johnson once again showed us the kind of leader he is going to be.
“Faced with that heart-breaking image of Jack, he refused to look at it, to acknowledge it, even taking the phone out of the journalist’s hand and putting it in his pocket. As though that would somehow make it all go away. What a coward.
“He doesn’t care about Jack, and if he wins a majority, he’ll spend the next five years not caring about you or your family either. He’ll spend five years running away from scrutiny. Avoiding inconvenient truths. Hoping that his power and privilege alone will keep him in Number 10.”
NOT VOTED YET? There’s still time – the polling stations are open until 10pm.
Still not sure who to vote for? I’m attaching the main party leaders’ final appeal to voters – maybe it will help you make up your mind.
But remember, THE POLLS CLOSE AT 10pm!
On the eve of the most important general election for a generation, the city council’s election staff began setting up for the big day across the city’s 141 polling places.
In Edinburgh 362, 956 people have registered to vote, with 72,664 applying to vote by post. As of yesterday (Wednesday, 11 December) 52,636 postal voters had returned their vote – 72% – though ballots will not be counted until after the polls have closed at 10pm tonight – Thursday, 12 December. Continue reading General Election: IT’S TIME TO HAVE YOUR SAY
Edinburgh Napier University students will work through the night to cover the unfolding story of the General Election on the radio airwaves and online.
A team of journalism, TV and photography students will capture the latest developments from counts across the UK. Continue reading Students will broadcast election night news as it happens
Edinburgh’s Returning Officer has urged residents to have their say on 12 December, with just days to go until Thursday’s UK Parliamentary Election.
In the Capital, 362, 956 people are currently registered to vote following the registration deadline on 26 November, with around 20,000 residents registering since the notice of election on 8 November. Continue reading Voters urged to have their say as General Election approaches
The European Movement in Scotland, the country’s leading pro-EU campaigning organisation, has urged voters to back election candidates who support remaining in the EU and with the best chance of winning when they go to the polls in Thursday’s General Election. Continue reading Scotland’s largest pro-EU campaign organisation urges voters to back best-placed Remainers in General Election
