SNP vote is 'soft' and Scottish independence support is dropping, says Willie Rennie

SNP MSP has drawn criticism after claiming more jobs would be created if there was a hard border with England. Emma Harper made the claim while being interviewed on ITV tonight, when she was asked about whether there would be checks along the 108-mile border should Scotland become independent and rejoin the European Union.

The same poll predicts that the Scottish Conservatives will return 32 MSPs, one more than in 2016. However there would still be a pro-independence majority at Holyrood, with the Scottish Greens forecast to return eight MSPs, two more than 2016.Ross said: “It is on a knife edge.

manifesto.Labour’s national recovery plan includes detailed policies for turning the country around, including a catch up plan for schools.One of the policy commitments is to strip away some of the financial support received by fee-paying schools.The manifesto states: “Scottish Labour will end all public sector support for fee-paying private schools, implementing the recommendations made by the Barclay Review to end their charitable status for rates relief as a contribution towards achieving a

Alba Party for a number of reasons. MacAskill, also an Alba MP, joined Salmond's party last month days after it launched.It was seen as coup for the former First Minister as he looks to create a 'super-majority' for independence in the Scottish Parliament following the election on May 6.

Brummie legend Emma Willlis is taking on a huge challenge in a bid to get everyone checking themselves for the signs of cancer. The TV star, born in Sutton Coldfield, is going on a 100km charity trek with friend and queen of the jungle Giovanna Fletcher in the Scottish Highlands.

annual STUC conference backed a motion today that Holyrood “should have the power to hold a referendum on Scotland’s future and should not require UK Government consent.” Members said it would be wrong for Westminster to “resist a second vote if a majority of pro-independence MSPs are elected alongside a clear preference among the Scottish people for a second vote.” But the trade union body also rejected Alex Salmond's argument for a so-called "super majority" of MSPs.

coronavirus Hancock turned the tables on SNP MP Dave Doogan who asked the Health Secretary if he would match the SNP’s commitment to increase health spending by 20 per cent “to truly build back better”? First Minister Nicola Sturgeon committed the SNP to a four per cent increase in NHS spending for each of the next five years if returned to office.

Douglas Ross being in charge of the Scottish Tories. He said: “My politics and his are different.

Scottish Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems to task for not holding the SNP to account during its time in power.The Former First Minister also took aim at Nicola Sturgeon's SNP government over some of its social and economic policies.He said the SNP needs to be taken to task on some issues and the 'Union parties' he claims are not doing that because they are too busy "decrying independence".It comes as a new opinion poll showed Alba were on course to receive five seats in the Holyrood chamber

Scottish independence - and he reckons his time on Outlander has swayed his opinion. The 40-year-old Scottish actor claimed that he ‘never really felt Scottish’ during his years of working in London and America.

Alba Party took aim at his successor as SNP leader today after Holyrood election campaigning resumed. Salmond hit out following remarks by Sturgeon that an IndyRef2 may have to be delayed if Scotland's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic takes longer than expected.

independence as their top priority. But the poll also found that 53% of voters believe an IndyRef2 should take place within the next five years, while 22% said a future referendum should be ruled out entirely, once people who expressed no opinion were excluded from the total.

new Alba Party combined next month, with 45% opposed, once those who did not express an opinion were excluded from the result.Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly said there would be grounds for a new vote on Scotland's future if her party wins a majority of MSPs on its own, and has ruled out working with Salmond.The pro-independence Greens are also hostile to the Alba Party but have talked up the prospect of forming a coalition with the Nationalists if they fall short of a majority.But just 50% of

former First Minister also hit out at an apparent absence of “will, determination and statecraft” over the last seven years - the period in which Sturgeon has led the country.Salmond launched a new pro-indy party, Alba, in the wake of his bitter fallout with Nicola Sturgeon.Alba’s aim is to secure a “super majority” of pro-independence MSPs and is only contesting the regional List elections for Holyrood.However, despite preaching pro-independence unity, Salmond has criticised his predecessor’s

election. Neil Gray, who stepped down as an MP to run for the Holyrood chamber, took to Twitter to say he had been bitten when he was out leafleting.

Scottish Lib Dems leader wants future Scottish Parliament polls to use single transferable vote (STV), the same system used at council elections since 2007 which sees voters rank candidates by order of preference.His party also wants a return to Holyrood elections being held every four years instead of five and support the introduction of a recall function which could see misbehaving MSPs removed from office.Rennie claimed yesterday that Alba - a breakaway party launched last month - was

Humza Yousaf has said. The Justice Secretary said in a speech earlier today that independence would not be a "distraction" from the fallout of the pandemic.

party chiefs. The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be joined by Anas Sarwar from Labour, Douglas Ross from the Scottish Conservatives, Willie Rennie from the Lib Dems and Lorna Slater of the Scottish Greens.