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SNP minister boasts of 'huge influence' over government in hung parliament

Humza Yousaf says the party would have a 'hell of a lot' of power

Jon Stone
Wednesday 06 May 2015 12:49 BST
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SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon launches the Scottish National Party manifesto at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon launches the Scottish National Party manifesto at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena (Getty Images)

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The SNP would have a “huge amount of influence” over governments formed after a hung parliament, one of the party’s ministers has said.

Humza Yousaf, the Scottish Government’s minister for External Affairs, told BBC News that “every poll” showed the SNP set to have influence over “every single piece of legislation”.

“You have a hell of a lot of influence issue by issue, day by day on every single piece of legislation that has to be passed in the house,” he said.

“And every poll indicates that, of course, we know neither Labour nor the Conservatives are going to have a majority.

“If we have a bloc of SNP MPs and we are the third largest party, then actually we would have a huge amount of influence

David Cameron has accused Labour leader Ed Miliband of a “con trick” over the SNP’s role in a future government, claiming the opposition leader is deliberately misleading voters on the issue.

“Basically what he’s doing is a con trick. You can see what he’s doing: ‘Look at this strong language about no deals and no pacts, and ignore the fact that I can only become prime minister off the back of SNP votes',” Mr Cameron told the Press Association.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has ruled out doing any “deals” with the SNP in the event of a hung parliament.

A minority Labour government would however have to rely on support from the nationalists if polls showing them taking all of Scotland’s seats came to fruition.

Polls suggest the SNP is on course to take practically every seat in Scotland on Thursday.

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