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Sturgeon launches plan for alliances with anti-Tory MPs

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon set out a plan for alliances with anti-Tory MPs in Westminster yesterday, but refused to give a guarantee to Labour that there would be no second independence referendum during the next Holyrood parliament.

The First Minister claimed the SNP is the “only party offering an alternative to the harsh Westminster cuts agenda.”

Speaking ahead of today’s SNP manifesto launch, Ms Sturgeon said “a strong team of SNP MPs in a hung Parliament at Westminster” would propose increases in health spending across Britain.

“Our proposals for modest public spending increases of 0.5 per cent support an additional £9.5 billion health spending above inflation by 2020-21 — £24bn in total,” she said.

“This will deliver a total increase for NHS Scotland of £2bn.”

Ms Sturgeon said SNP MPs at Westminster will “seek to build bridges between progressive parties to deliver change — and safeguarding the future of the NHS is an example of what can be achieved.”

However, speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show yesterday, she refused to give Labour a guarantee of “no referendum” in return for a Westminster deal.

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader Kezia Dugdale retorted that the SNP had “gone back on its word.”

Ms Dugdale said: “The referendum just 213 days ago was supposed to be a once-in-a-generation deal.

“Now is tthe SNP’s last chance before the election to rule out another referendum for a generation like Scots were promised just a few months ago.”

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