Scotland is stuck in a Tory Ice Age under Westminster Control.
The SNP has said independence is needed to “keep Scotland safe” from the lasting damage of Tory rule – as midterm polls suggest the UK faces two decades of Tory governments that Scotland has consistently rejected.
With new analysis showing no change in midterm polling since the Tories won a 157-seat majority in England at the 2019 general election, Ian Blackford (pictured) said the UK was stuck in a “Tory political ice age” with no realistic prospect of change ahead of the next general election.
The SNP Westminster Leader said Scotland is “increasingly vulnerable under Westminster control” – with Boris Johnson pursuing another round of devastating austerity cuts, a jobs-destroying hard Brexit, and a power grab on the Scottish Parliament.
An average of the eighteen opinion polls since the May elections has the Tories on 43.6% (n/c on 2019 general election) and Labour on 32.1% (n/c) – an 11.5% lead for Boris Johnson.
While the SNP is on course to block the Tories in Scotland, Labour is losing ground in England including losing the recent Hartlepool by-election to the Tories.
Commenting, SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford MP said:
“The UK is stuck in a Tory political ice age with all the signs suggesting the Tories will be in power at Westminster for at least another decade.
“It’s clear that independence is the only way to keep Scotland safe from repeated and unwanted Tory governments and the long-term damage of austerity cuts, Brexit and power grabs.
“With Boris Johnson preparing a return to austerity, with devastating cuts to Universal Credit and a public sector pay freeze, there isn’t a chance of a fair recovery under the broken Westminster system.
“Instead Tory cuts will entrench poverty and inequality, hinder economic growth, and slash household incomes – damaging Scotland’s interests and leaving millions of families worse off.
“Scotland is increasingly vulnerable under Westminster control – with Tory cuts wiping out the benefits of progressive SNP policies like the Scottish Child Payment.
“Scotland hasn’t voted Tory in over 65 years but we’ve had Tory governments imposed against our will for the vast majority of that time.
“The only way to keep Scotland safe is to become an independent country with the full powers needed to build a strong, fair and equal recovery.”
