Nicola Sturgeon seeks 'overwhelming' victory for EU remain campaign
Scotland's First Minister has said she is targeting an ``overwhelming'' win for the vote to remain in the EU.
Scotland's First Minister has said she is targeting an overwhelming'' win for the vote to remain in the EU.
Nicola Sturgeon will be at the forefront of the SNP in Europe campaign which she has pledged will be progressive and upbeat''.
Delivering a speech in London on Monday, the SNP leader is expected to argue that Scotland and the UK should seek to reform the EU from the inside rather than be a voice outside.
She will say: The Scottish Government believes that EU membership is in the best interests of Scotland. As such the Scottish Government will make a positive, constructive case for remaining in the EU.
I believe that we benefit from being part of the EU, and the EU benefits from having us a part of it.
For more than 40 years, membership of the EU has been good for the prosperity and well-being of individuals, families and communities across the country.
I want the vote on June 23 to result in an overwhelming victory, across all parts of the UK, for remaining in the European Union. I will campaign wholeheartedly to achieve that result. And although my main role will obviously be to campaign in Scotland, many of the points I'll be making are of course also relevant to the debate across the UK.''
Speaking to an audience of around 700 people at St John's Smith Square, Ms Sturgeon is expected to add: It's clear that being a member of the EU has its benefits, but with any institution improvements can be made.
If we are to influence positive change in Europe, we must remain within the EU - only that guarantees a role in the EU decision-making processes on issues that affect our everyday lives.''
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs in the Scottish Government, said that Ms Sturgeon will be making the positive'' case for staying in the EU.
She said: Our view is that we need a Europe that is about solidarity, is about social protection and its about mutual support.''
Ms Hyslop said if Britain voted to leave the EU and Scotland wanted to stay, then it would be inescapable'' that there would be calls for another independence referendum to be held.
She said: I think the issue will be if Scotland votes to remain in the European Union but the rest of the UK decides to leave and we are somehow forced out against our wishes, that's the situation where people are questioning our membership.
We don't know what will happen, but we do think there will be increasing demand for an independence referendum.''
The minister said that in the event of a Leave vote, the Scottish Government will defend Scottish interests''.
She said: The Scottish interests are to make sure that we have the opportunity to sell goods and services, to make sure that we have the social protections we were talking about, and there are different ways of delivering that.
I think it would be inescapable that we would demand - should Scotland vote to remain and the rest of the UK to leave - the people of Scotland would want to see constitutional change.''