SNP vows to 'cancel Brexit as much as possible' if parliament is hung

Humza Yusuf at Dundee's Big Help Out on Monday. His party wants an independent Scotland to join the EU. Photo: GETTY IMAGES. if the next general election results in a hung parliament, the party said.

Last week's local election results in England showed that if the party had an absolute majority in the general election.

Labor leading Tories by more than 20 points in some opinion polls may not win a majority and try to form a coalition government.

On Tuesday, SNP EU accession spokesman Alyn Smith said his party would demand that the UK maintain close relations with Brussels in any talks with the minority Labor government. key requirements for the relationship between the UK and the EU will be to secure membership in the single market and restore freedom of movement.

The SNP is one of the few major parties backing reunification with the EU, as Labor ruled out Brexit cancellation. The Liberal Democrats have formally dropped calls for a second EU referendum, although The Telegraph reported on Sunday that Ed Davey's party could demand a second vote as the price of joining the coalition.

Mr Smith said: “Brexit has been a disaster for Scotland and the UK – costing our economy billions, hurting the NHS and contributing to the cost of living crisis – and there was a conspiracy of silence about it. from Labor and Tories.

"While independence is the only way for Scotland to regain our EU membership, the SNP can keep the balance of power in the next election and we will use our influence to reverse Brexit as much as possible and demand that the UK maintain close relations with EU.

“With all the signs pointing to a hung parliament, the SNP could force the minority Labor government to join the EU single market, reintroduce free movement and hand over power for an independence referendum to Edinburgh so Scotland can regain its place in Europe. ."

2023 local election results

He added: "SNP will also push for UK reunification with Erasmus and Horizon Europe and defend the European Court of Justice while ensuring Scotland can avoid Brexit entirely with independence.

"In the next election, the SNP vote is the only way to beat the Tories in Scotland and a strong team of SNP MPs could get a better deal for Scotland, including the right to an independence referendum, close relations with Europe and making the cost-of-living crisis a key priority."

The vast majority of Scots believe the Tory government is not handling Brexit well. , according to the latest YouGov poll on May 1st, 84% of Scots and 67% of UK residents think so.

Only 9% of Scots and 22% of UK residents said pollsters think the government is handling Brexit well.