THE Scottish LibDems have launched their manifesto for next week’s European elections.

Leader Willie Rennie said his party were “absolutely four-square behind staying in the EU and stopping Brexit” – while opposing a second independence referendum.

The party’s manifesto – launched by Rennie and the party’s candidates at a climbing centre in Edinburgh yesterday – features the words “stop Brexit” on the front cover, and promises that “every vote for the LibDems is a vote to stay in the European Union”.

It continues: “Instead of letting Brexit consume the next decade, let’s focus on tackling climate change, building the best health and education systems in the world, and talking the inequalities that limit life chances for so many people.”

The party’s lead candidate Sheila Ritchie told the BBC Scotland the LibDems are “the only party standing in Scotland that can stop the constitutional shambles”.

She said: “It’s pretty clear to us the majority of voters have already demonstrated that they want to remain in the United Kingdom, they’ve also demonstrated they want to remain in the EU.

“We are the only party standing for that in these elections.”

Rennie added: “If there’s one thing that we’ve learned over the last few years is that breaking up long-term economic partnerships is incredibly difficult. In fact it’s a disastrous approach. So the one thing we are determined not to do

is repeat the mistakes of Brexit and have another ndependence campaign. That would cause more damage and division to our country.”

The UK goes to the polls to elect MEPs on May 23, despite ongoing negotiations over Brexit.