Scottish election 2021: Parties push for votes on last campaign day
- Published
Ballot boxes are being delivered to polling places ahead of Thursday's vote
Scotland's politicians have launched their final bids for votes ahead of the Scottish Parliament election.
With less than 24 hours before polls open, leaders have been out across the country delivering key messages to their campaigns.
The Lib Dems and Labour singled out Covid recovery while the SNP focused on "experienced leadership".
Preventing an independence referendum was the focus for the Conservatives and the Greens tackled climate action.
Polling stations will open across Scotland from 07:00 on Thursday with new guidelines in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
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Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie visited an airfield in East Lothian during a whistle stop tour from the south of Scotland to the Highlands.
His final pre-election message to voters was that his party would prioritise recovery from the pandemic - "not independence".
Mr Rennie visited an airfield in East Lothian on the final day of campaigning
He said: "Voters can choose whether the next parliament is one that puts recovery first or one that is dominated by independence.
"The next parliament must have a needle-sharp focus on helping education bounce back, cutting mental health waits, creating jobs for people desperate for work and taking action on the climate.
"Every Liberal Democrat vote in every part of the country, especially on the peach ballot paper, will help to elect more Liberal Democrat MSPs who will put recovery first."
Willie Rennie flew a microlight to demonstrate how his party was "reaching new heights"
Similarly Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar warned that jobs, education and the NHS were "on the ballot" while criticising the "divisions" of the SNP and Conservatives in his pre-election message.
Mr Sarwar held a drive-in rally for Labour supporters on Wednesday alongside former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
He said: "The people of Scotland face a stark choice at this election - either we go back to the old arguments about a referendum with the SNP and the Tories, or we forge ahead with our national recovery with Labour.
"In this moment of national crisis, we must pull together - not go back to fighting among ourselves."
Anas Sarwar attended the Labour rally with Gordon Brown, Pauline McNeill and Pam Duncan-Glancy
What are the parties promising you?
Use our concise manifesto guide to compare where the parties stand on key issues like Covid-19, independence and the environment.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon continued a bus tour of Scotland campaigning from Aberdeenshire to Dumbarton, urging voters to "secure strong, experienced leadership".
Echoing the polls which showed various results on whether her party would win a majority, she said the result of every Scottish Parliament was "always on a knife-edge" and "nothing can be taken for granted".
The SNP leader visited Pocra Quay in Aberdeen
Ms Sturgeon added: "The SNP is the only party with an immediate plan to get Scotland through the Covid pandemic.
"And the SNP is the only party with a serious programme for government to kick-start economic recovery, to remobilise our NHS and to tackle the climate crisis - but to get that serious government people have to vote for it.
"I'm ready to get back to work, to take the difficult decisions, and to put Scotland first."
Ruth Davidson and Douglas Ross spent time in Stirling on the final campaign day
Meanwhile, in Stirling, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and former leader Ruth Davidson made an appeal to unionist voters to back their party on the peach-coloured ballot paper.
Their main message was about preventing a second independence referendum, saying Thursday's vote comes down to "referendum or recovery" and "SNP majority or peach vote Tory."
Mr Ross said: "The UK furlough scheme is protecting jobs and the UK vaccine scheme is tackling the health crisis - but the SNP want to ditch all of that at the worst possible moment.
"Polls show there is a real threat of an SNP majority, hell-bent on getting independence, that would take its 'eye off the ball' on every key issue."
SCOTLAND'S ELECTION: THE BASICS
What's happening? On 6 May, people across Scotland will vote to elect 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). The party that wins the most seats will form the government. Find out more here.
What powers do they have? MSPs pass laws on aspects of life in Scotland such as health, education and transport - and have some powers over tax and welfare benefits.
Lorna Slater said the "future is at stake" in the election
Making their final pitch for votes in Edinburgh, Scottish Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater highlighted their promise to take "urgent action" on climate as well as a "green recovery" from the pandemic.
Mr Harvie said that green voters could "have a huge impact" in the next five years.
He said: "This is the time to take matters into our own hands, to build a Scotland that can lead Europe in tackling the climate emergency.
"But there is no time to lose. It's time to vote like our future depends on it."
Ms Slater added: "At this election, our future is at stake. Only the Scottish Greens have produced detailed plans to invest in a new deal for renewable energy, a new deal for workers and a new deal for nature. We can build a new Scotland together, but only if we vote for it."
POLICIES: Who should I vote for?
CANDIDATES: Who can I vote for in my area?
PODLITICAL: Updates from the campaign
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