Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of ignoring local services in her council election campaign after arguing Scots should vote SNP to punish Boris Johnson over “partygate” and bolster her case for independence.
Unveiling her party’s election manifesto in Greenock, the First Minister directed a lengthy diatribe at the Prime Minister over his “disgraceful and abhorrent” record in Number 10 and argued he was “unfit for office”.
She predicted it was “now a matter of when, not if” that Tory MPs oust him but argued Scotland would continue having to live under Conservative governments it does not elect.
Calling for independence, she said SNP councillors elected on May 5 would “support the Scottish Government’s proposals for a referendum in the first half of this parliament”.
Ms Sturgeon insisted their priority would be tackling the cost-of-living crisis and improving local services but the Tories predicted both issues would play second fiddle to “helping Nicola Sturgeon’s push for another divisive independence referendum”.
The First Minister is expected to publish plans shortly for a vote to be held by autumn next year, despite polls showing a clear majority of Scots opposing her timetable.
‘Background issues’
Miles Briggs, the Scottish Tories’ shadow local government secretary, said: “Voters can be in no doubt that if they elect SNP councillors next month, the state of their roads, the frequency of bin collections and rising council tax bills will just be background issues for a party for whom the constitution trumps everything else.
“In fact, there’s no mention of potholes or rubbish collections in a manifesto devoid of new ideas from a party that is clearly taking voters for granted.”
