Theresa May has made a “huge political miscalculation” in calling a snap election, Nicola Sturgeon warned, as she said the vote could strengthen the case for a second Scottish independence referendum.
Scotland’s first minister said she already has a “cast-iron mandate” to hold another vote on the issue – but said that the June 8 election could help with “reinforcing the democratic mandate which already exists for giving the people of Scotland a choice on their future”.
Ms Sturgeon also said the “extraordinary U-turn” from Mrs May would give voters north of the border a further chance to reject the “narrow, divisive” policies of the Tories.
She spoke out after Mrs May stunned Westminster with her announcement – which came after repeated denials from Downing Street that there would be a snap vote.
But Ms Sturgeon accused Mrs May of putting her party before the country, saying the Tory leader “is clearly betting that the Tories can win a bigger majority in England given the utter disarray in the Labour Party”
In the 2015 general election the SNP picked up 56 of the 59 constituencies north of the border – a result they could struggle to repeat.
In contrast, Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats won just one seat each.