Tories urge voters to use Euro elections to send message to Nicola Sturgeon

Scottish Tories have urged voters to use next week’s European elections to tell Nicola Sturgeon that there should be “no more divisive referendums”.

Baroness Nosheena Mobarik, the Tories’ lead candidate for the ballot on Thursday, said it gave Scots the chance to send a “clear message” to the First Minister on the issue.

The SNP leader has already declared her intention to hold a second Scottish independence referendum before the May 2021 Holyrood elections.

Baroness Mobarik said: “We can see clearly at this election that Nicola Sturgeon is trying once again to use Brexit to get the only thing she cares about – another referendum on independence.”

But she added: “But this election offers the chance to tell our parliamentarians in Westminster that they must come together and deliver Brexit – and to send a clear message to Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP – no more divisive referendums.”

Baroness Mobarik, an MEP since 2017, spoke out ahead of a visit to Peterhead fish market, where she will be joined on the campaign trail by Tory MP David Duguid.

And they both raised fears about the possible impact on Scotland’s fishing industry if rival parties succeeded in keeping the UK in the European Union.

The SNP, Scottish Greens and Scottish Lib Dems are all fighting the European elections on an anti-Brexit agenda.

Baroness Mobarik said: “The SNP would sell out our fishermen by keeping the industry shackled to the damaging Common Fisheries Policy. We cannot allow that to happen.”

And Mr Duguid stated: “One million Scots – and a majority in my constituency of Banff and Buchan – voted to leave the EU.

“The sea of opportunity for our fishing industry could be lost if pro-EU parties have their way.”

He added: “The Scottish Conservatives are the only major party at this election which believes we must respect the referendum result. It is time to come together and deliver a sensible Brexit.”