NICOLA Sturgeon has said that Scots could play a decisive role in helping to deliver a vote for the UK to remain in the European Union, in a rallying call to “maximise” opposition to a Brexit in next week’s In-Out referendum.
The First Minister stated that Scotland “could increase the margin of victory for Remain” if as polls indicate the electorate north of the Border votes to stay in the EU by a bigger margin than in other parts of the UK.
Sturgeon said the outcome of the vote was firmly in the balance with some surveys showing a majority of UK voters polled support a Brexit, as she delivered a campaign message to mark the 10-day countdown to the June 23 referendum,
However, the First Minister suggested a high turnout and a decisive win for the Remain side in Scotland could yet tip the balance of the overall result.
The SNP leadership has repeatedly expressed concerns that Scotland could be dragged out of the EU against its will by being outvoted by the UK electorate as a whole, which opinion polls suggest is more likely to vote Leave.
Sturgeon and other senior SNP figures have argued that such a scenario where Scotland was pulled out of the EU despite a strong vote to remain north of the Border could be a potential trigger for a second independence referendum if there was sufficient demand among the electorate.
The First Minister re-stated her call for voters in England,Wales and Northern Ireland to support Remain in next week’s referendum and warned that pulling out of the EU would be harmful to all parts of the UK.
However, she said the “potential strength of the pro-Europe sentiment in Scotland” could be the all-important factor in determining the outcome of the referendum.
Sturgeon said: “With 10 days to go until the referendum, the result of this vote is in the balance.
“Polls showing a lead for Brexit should act as a wake-up call to anyone who assumed that it would be an easy win for the Remain side.
“But I still believe there is a majority for an ‘in’ vote across the UK – especially if everyone turns out to vote.
“And Scotland’s voice could help to make the difference in this contest, especially if the result is as close as some polls suggest.
“While I take nothing for granted, I believe Scotland will vote strongly to stay part of Europe – and that Scottish voters could increase the margin of victory for Remain.
“Let me be clear – I want to see a majority Remain vote in England, Wales and Northern Ireland too. But given the potential strength of the pro-Europe sentiment in Scotland, I want to maximise the ‘in’ vote here.”
The First Minister went on to state that next week’s vote was not about attempting to boost support for independence or create the conditions for a fresh vote.
However, Sturgeon said the EU referendum was a historic opportunity for the Scottish electorate to ensure that its voice was heard on the European stage.
She added: “I support an independent Scotland, but I also support Scotland being in the EU whether as an independent country or as part of the UK.
“However, this vote is not about independence – it is about our continued place in Europe, with all the many benefits that brings.
“That’s why it is important that Scotland votes in big numbers to help secure a win for the Remain side.”
Meanwhile, the Scottish Green Party will today publish a letter to voters in Scotland, backing a vote to Remain in the EU.
The letter, which will be launched in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens, calls on voters to look beyond the “shallow” debate on immigration and the economy and asks them to consider progress already made in reforming the EU.
Scottish Green Party co-convener Maggie Chapman, speaking ahead of the launch, said: “The debate so far has been dominated by a right-wing story that blames the EU for all our problems and says we need to shut our borders. This casual racism masks the fact that the same people leading the Leave campaign are the ones who have destroyed our social security system, supported tax evasion and imposed austerity on us all.
“It’s only by working together with like minded people across the EU that we can make the changes that Europe so desperately needs.”
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