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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Sturgeon steps up call for pro-EU voters to shun Scottish Labour | Sturgeon steps up call for pro-EU voters to shun Scottish Labour |
| (3 days later) | |
| Nicola Sturgeon has stepped up her appeals to pro-European voters in Scotland to abandon Labour, describing Jeremy Corbyn’s party as pro-Brexit and dishonest. | Nicola Sturgeon has stepped up her appeals to pro-European voters in Scotland to abandon Labour, describing Jeremy Corbyn’s party as pro-Brexit and dishonest. |
| Launching her European election campaign, the Scottish National party leader said voters needed to treat both Labour and the Conservatives as pro-Brexit parties, despite Corbyn’s attempt to “face both ways” on Europe. | Launching her European election campaign, the Scottish National party leader said voters needed to treat both Labour and the Conservatives as pro-Brexit parties, despite Corbyn’s attempt to “face both ways” on Europe. |
| Describing the vote on 23 May as the most important European election in Scotland’s history, Sturgeon also reiterated her call for a fresh referendum on Scottish independence before 2021, regardless of whether Brexit happens. | Describing the vote on 23 May as the most important European election in Scotland’s history, Sturgeon also reiterated her call for a fresh referendum on Scottish independence before 2021, regardless of whether Brexit happens. |
| “It is striking, I would say depressingly so, just how close together Labour and the Tories are on Brexit. On this defining issue of our time, Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May have so much more in common than they like to pretend. They both want to take Scotland and the UK out of the European Union,” she said. | “It is striking, I would say depressingly so, just how close together Labour and the Tories are on Brexit. On this defining issue of our time, Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May have so much more in common than they like to pretend. They both want to take Scotland and the UK out of the European Union,” she said. |
| “There is no escaping the fact that Labour is a pro-Brexit party, just as the Tories are a pro-Brexit party.” | “There is no escaping the fact that Labour is a pro-Brexit party, just as the Tories are a pro-Brexit party.” |
| Her opponents claim Sturgeon is using Brexit as a pretext to fight for independence but she said this was a “golden opportunity” for Scottish voters to assert themselves at a UK and European level. “Whatever your view on independence, this election is an opportunity to make Scotland’s voice heard. A vote for the SNP is a vote to reject the shambles and chaos Westminster has inflicted, not just on Scotland, but on all of the UK,” she said. | Her opponents claim Sturgeon is using Brexit as a pretext to fight for independence but she said this was a “golden opportunity” for Scottish voters to assert themselves at a UK and European level. “Whatever your view on independence, this election is an opportunity to make Scotland’s voice heard. A vote for the SNP is a vote to reject the shambles and chaos Westminster has inflicted, not just on Scotland, but on all of the UK,” she said. |
| The UK elects 73 members (MEPs) to the European parliament, which is made up of 751 MEPs elected by the 28 member states of the EU. The UK is split into 12 European electoral regions, and each region is represented by between three and 10 MEPs. | The UK elects 73 members (MEPs) to the European parliament, which is made up of 751 MEPs elected by the 28 member states of the EU. The UK is split into 12 European electoral regions, and each region is represented by between three and 10 MEPs. |
| The constituencies are: | The constituencies are: |
| South East England (10 MEPs) | South East England (10 MEPs) |
| London (8) | London (8) |
| North West England (8) | North West England (8) |
| East of England (7) | East of England (7) |
| West Midlands (7) | West Midlands (7) |
| South West England (including Gibraltar) (6) | South West England (including Gibraltar) (6) |
| Yorkshire and the Humber (6) | Yorkshire and the Humber (6) |
| Scotland (6) | Scotland (6) |
| East Midlands (5) | East Midlands (5) |
| Wales (4) | Wales (4) |
| North East England (3) | North East England (3) |
| Northern Ireland (3) | Northern Ireland (3) |
| You can find out who is standing for election in your area here. Current polling suggests that support for the Conservatives has slumped to 11%, less than a third of what the Nigel Farage’s new Brexit party is polling. | |
| In England, Scotland and Wales, voters can choose to vote for one party or individual. The ballot paper lists the parties standing with the names of their potential MEPs, as well as any individuals who are standing as independent candidates. The D’Hondt method of proportional representation is used to calculate how many seats each party or individual receives. | In England, Scotland and Wales, voters can choose to vote for one party or individual. The ballot paper lists the parties standing with the names of their potential MEPs, as well as any individuals who are standing as independent candidates. The D’Hondt method of proportional representation is used to calculate how many seats each party or individual receives. |
| In Northern Ireland, the single transferable vote method is used, where each voter ranks candidates in order of preference, marking 1 beside their most preferred candidate, 2 beside their second choice, and so on. These votes are then used to allocate Northern Ireland’s three MEPs. | In Northern Ireland, the single transferable vote method is used, where each voter ranks candidates in order of preference, marking 1 beside their most preferred candidate, 2 beside their second choice, and so on. These votes are then used to allocate Northern Ireland’s three MEPs. |
| Those elected as MEPs on 23 May will represent the UK when the new European parliament assembles on 1 July, until such time as the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union. | Those elected as MEPs on 23 May will represent the UK when the new European parliament assembles on 1 July, until such time as the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union. |
| The latest opinion polls suggest the SNP will attract hundreds of thousands of pro-EU voters, chiefly at Labour’s expense, and is set to win at least three or possibly four of Scotland’s six European parliament seats. It currently has two MEPs. | The latest opinion polls suggest the SNP will attract hundreds of thousands of pro-EU voters, chiefly at Labour’s expense, and is set to win at least three or possibly four of Scotland’s six European parliament seats. It currently has two MEPs. |
| The latest YouGov poll in Scotland, for the Times, put the SNP at 40%, Labour down at 14% and the Tories at 10%. That suggests the Tories will struggle to hold their sole European seat and Labour looks set to lose one of its two MEPs. | The latest YouGov poll in Scotland, for the Times, put the SNP at 40%, Labour down at 14% and the Tories at 10%. That suggests the Tories will struggle to hold their sole European seat and Labour looks set to lose one of its two MEPs. |
| The 2014 European election result suggests one pro-leave party has a good chance of taking a seat, at the expense of the Tories. In a shock result in 2014, Scottish voters handed Ukip’s David Coburn the sixth seat, electing a Ukip representative for the first time. | The 2014 European election result suggests one pro-leave party has a good chance of taking a seat, at the expense of the Tories. In a shock result in 2014, Scottish voters handed Ukip’s David Coburn the sixth seat, electing a Ukip representative for the first time. |
| YouGov puts the newly founded Brexit party, led by Nigel Farage, at 13%, ahead of the Tories even though it has only just begun campaigning in Scotland. Ukip is at 3% in the poll. Unlike in England, the Lib Dems are being squeezed out by the SNP and the new pro-remain Change UK party, with which it level pegging with each sharing 6% of the vote, according to YouGov. | YouGov puts the newly founded Brexit party, led by Nigel Farage, at 13%, ahead of the Tories even though it has only just begun campaigning in Scotland. Ukip is at 3% in the poll. Unlike in England, the Lib Dems are being squeezed out by the SNP and the new pro-remain Change UK party, with which it level pegging with each sharing 6% of the vote, according to YouGov. |
| Sturgeon will again face questions about the apparently contradictory logic of wishing to take Scotland out of its 312-year-old union with the UK but remain in a much larger European bloc, where it will be one of 28 members. | Sturgeon will again face questions about the apparently contradictory logic of wishing to take Scotland out of its 312-year-old union with the UK but remain in a much larger European bloc, where it will be one of 28 members. |
| Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, is putting huge emphasis on Sturgeon’s quest for independence in a bid to differentiate the Tories from other pro-Brexit parties in the European elections. | Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, is putting huge emphasis on Sturgeon’s quest for independence in a bid to differentiate the Tories from other pro-Brexit parties in the European elections. |
| Sturgeon described the EU as “a collective of independent states” and said Croatia and Denmark, countries of similar size to Scotland, had recently had leading roles in the EU. An independent Scotland would have a seat “at the top table”, instead of being ignored by ministers in London, she said. | Sturgeon described the EU as “a collective of independent states” and said Croatia and Denmark, countries of similar size to Scotland, had recently had leading roles in the EU. An independent Scotland would have a seat “at the top table”, instead of being ignored by ministers in London, she said. |
| Nicola Sturgeon | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Scottish National party (SNP) | Scottish National party (SNP) |
| Brexit | Brexit |
| European parliamentary elections 2019 | European parliamentary elections 2019 |
| Scottish politics | Scottish politics |
| European elections | European elections |
| European Union | European Union |
| news | news |
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