General Election 2015: Forget about the referendum and back the SNP, says Sturgeon

The First Minister will claim that Scotland can emerge 'stronger and more united as a nation than we have ever been'

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is trying to blow away concerns about another referendum on Scottish independence (Getty Images)

People who voted against Scottish independence should set aside their concerns about another referendum and back the SNP in the general election, Nicola Sturgeon will say.

Calling on Scots to rally behind her party’s anti-austerity message for the benefit of the UK as a whole, the First Minister will claim that Scotland can emerge “stronger and more united as a nation than we have ever been”.

In a speech in Glasgow marking the start of the final week of campaigning, she will also criticise “establishment voices” such as Sir John Major for warning that a strong SNP presence at Westminster is a threat to the Union.

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“As I have made very clear, this election is not about independence or about another referendum,” the SNP leader will say. “It is about giving Scotland real power at Westminster and about making sure that the voices of families, communities and individuals the length and breadth of Scotland – those who voted Yes and those who voted No last year – are listened to.”

Polls suggest that the SNP is set to make big gains at the election on 7 May, potentially winning more than 50 of Scotland’s 59 Westminster seats at the expense of Labour, who are facing a wipeout north of the border.

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy warned yesterday that the country would be “turbo-charged towards a second referendum” on independence if voters back the SNP in the numbers predicted.

Ms Sturgeon has repeatedly said the general election is not about Scottish independence – but her speech condemning the “Westminster establishment” will carry echoes of the rhetoric deployed by Yes Scotland during the referendum campaign.

“Make no mistake, the people of Scotland can be heard – loud and clear – at this election,” she will say. “Their votes will be counted and their votes will matter. To suggest they shouldn’t, as Sir John Major and his allies have – that is the real democratic outrage.”