Scottish Leaders In Final Poll Push

6 May 2015, 08:08 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Scotland's political parties will make their final push for votes on the last full day of General Election campaigning.

Nicola Sturgeon will take her message to the streets of Edinburgh, while Jim Murphy will campaign in Greenock, in the Inverclyde constituency.

Conservative leader Ruth Davidson will deliver her final election speech in the capital, while Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg will visit key Scottish constituencies as he completes his tour of the length of the UK.

Speaking ahead of her final campaign event, Ms Sturgeon told voters that "Scotland has the opportunity to have more power and influence at Westminster than ever before''.

"As the General Election campaign draws to a close, there are still precious hours and minutes to make Scotland's voice heard,'' she said.

"The fact is the SNP are the only party offering an alternative to the harsh Westminster cuts that have caused pain in Scotland and across these islands for the past five years.''

She added: "On Thursday morning, Scotland has the opportunity to make its voice heard at Westminster like never before.

"I know that a strong team of SNP MPs will have Scotland's interests at heart first, last - and always. In these final hours I will be campaigning tirelessly to get the message out. And I truly hope that Scotland will unite to put its trust in the SNP to bring about the progressive change that people across the UK are waiting for.''

But Mr Murphy said: "It's now clear that if David Cameron has just one more seat than Labour he will use it to try to cling on to power. Scotland can't afford to let him do that. Tomorrow, don't gamble with the SNP, vote to guarantee change with the Labour Party.

"In less than 24 hours, we have the chance to kick David Cameron and George Osborne out of Downing Street. It's been five long years of the Tories. Five long years of food banks, falling living standards and too few opportunities for our young people.

"Change with Labour will mean an increase in the minimum wage to over £8 an hour, an end to exploitative zero hours contracts, and jobs for our young people funded by a tax on bankers' bonuses.

"We are making this decision tomorrow not just for ourselves, but for the next generation of Scots. We owe it to them to vote for change and vote to get rid of the Tory government.''

Meanwhile, Mr Clegg will travel to Scotland to campaign with Liberal Democrat candidates including Jo Swinson and Danny Alexander in a final push for votes.

The Lib Dem leader will be taking his battle bus from the Lake District to John O'Groats as part of his tour of the UK, before he returns to Sheffield.

Mr Clegg will join Ms Swinson at a nursery in East Dunbartonshire, before heading north to meet Danny Alexander in Invernesshire.

He will make his penultimate stop in John O'Groats, before joining Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross candidate John Thurso to mark the end of his Lands End to John O'Groats campaign journey.

Elsewhere the Scottish Greens will focus on their call for the return of the railways to public ownership with an event at Waverley Station in Edinburgh.

Peter McColl, the candidate for the Scottish Greens' main target seat of Edinburgh East, said: "A clear majority of Scots want the railways back in public hands, but no party at Westminster is fighting their corner. Only the Green MP Caroline Lucas has pressed for renationalisation - we need more Green MPs to make sure the majority is heard.''