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Nicola Sturgeon says there isn't an anti-English bone in her body

The SNP leader has ruled out proposing an independence referendum in post-election negotiations

Jon Stone
Wednesday 06 May 2015 09:34 BST
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Sturgeon inside No 10: the SNP leader poses in a playhouse as she visits ABC Nursery in Dedridge, Scotland, while on the election campaign trail
Sturgeon inside No 10: the SNP leader poses in a playhouse as she visits ABC Nursery in Dedridge, Scotland, while on the election campaign trail (Getty Images)

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Nicola Sturgeon has declared her love for England, arguing that there is “not an anti-English bone” in her body.

In a web chat with the website Mumsnet, the Scottish First Minister referenced English relatives and argued there was no reason for voters south of the border to fear her party.

"There is not an anti-English bone in my body,” she said. “I am the grand-daughter of an English woman. I love England and her people and, regardless of politics, consider you to be family … and always will."

"I hope nobody in England is afraid of the SNP - there is absolutely no need to be.”

In an interview with the BBC today the SNP leader said she would not ask Labour for another independence referendum in post-election negotiations on Friday.

“Let’s be hypothetical here: say on Friday morning I am sitting across the table from Ed Miliband talking about the things we might be able to agree on to get the Tories out office, I will not be asking him agree another independence referendum. It won’t be one of the things I’m asking for,” she said.

Poll suggest the SNP could take the vast majority of Westminster parliament seats in Scotland.

Such a result would make the nationalists likely to hold the balance of power in Westminster.

Ms Sturgeon has explicitly ruled out supporting a Conservative government, but any suggestion of a deal with Labour has been rebuffed by the party’s leader Ed Miliband.

Ultimately the government will be decided by whichever party can muster a majority in the House of Commons for its programme.

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