KATE Forbes has taken aim at Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer for the pair’s failure to mention Scotland once during a debate on ITV.
The leaders of the Conservatives and Labour Party went head-to-head on Tuesday night for the first of their televised electoral face-offs.
While they spoke on a range of issues, including tax, the NHS, immigration and the cost of living, neither managed to fit in a word about Scotland.
Speaking to reporters on the campaign trail, the Deputy First Minister said she watched the debate and that “it tells us everything we need to know about the next government”.
“We’ve had Starmer and Sunak both in Scotland. They’ve talked about the importance of Scotland and yet in the first national debate they don’t mention Scotland once,” she said.
NEW: Kate Forbes tells @LBC @LBCNewsScot that last night’s TV debate with Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer shows they forget about Scotland when they’re not visiting & says Labour is not offering change when it comes to investing in public services pic.twitter.com/NhigfAfW3Y
— @GinaDavidson (@ginadavidsonlbc) June 5, 2024
“And that’s exactly what’s going to happen for the next five years and why we need SNP MPs there to remind them of the promises that they’ve made to Scotland, hold their feet to the fire and ensure Scotland does get a better deal.”
Asked specifically what she would have wanted to hear about Scotland from either leader, Forbes said her “biggest concern” was around public finances.
“We’ve had 14 years of austerity, things are extremely challenging for households and for our public services and I’m not hearing anything from Labour that actually delivers any meaningful change.
“We already knew that there was about £18 billion worth of cuts coming down the line and if Labour, as they are suggesting, continue with the Tories’ budget, that will happen.
“And that’s precisely why we need SNP MPs to tell Labour to reject austerity, to properly fund our public services and ensure that the consequential funding coming to Scotland is adequate.”
Forbes was also pressed on polling from Redfield and Wilton which showed support for Starmer’s party sat at 39% among Scots, with the SNP on 29%, excluding undecided voters.
She said she would use “every day to make the case for why SNP MPs should be returned to Westminster”.
“We saw from the debate, Labour may make positive noises about Scotland, put them in power they generally forget about Scotland.
“That is why you need SNP MPs.”
