STEWART PATERSON

Political Correspondent

Nicola Sturgeon is to set out the SNP plan to end austerity across the UK.

The SNP leader will unveil the party’s manifesto in Perth tomorrow and will put ending austerity and Tory cuts at the heart of the agenda.

She will lay out a plan which would release almost £120bn for public services, which would see an extra £10bn coming to Scotland over the next five years

Ms Sturgeon said: “We will not follow the Tories in their blind pursuit of a pre-election surplus to spend in five years time, or Labour in their reckless plans to hike taxes without knowing if they will secure any additional revenue.

“The SNP will put forward a responsible and credible fiscal plan that will free up an additional £118 billion of public investment to grow the economy, safeguard our public services, protect household incomes and put the UK’s finances back on a stable footing.”

Meanwhile Ms Sturgeon said debates about the impact foreign policy has on terrorism must be had.

The First Minister said that Jeremy Corbyn and others who are critical of Britain’s foreign interventions should be allowed to criticise without being accused of attempting to justify terrorism

Ms Sturgeon said she is also a critic of certain UK foreign policies and said Iraq in particular has implications both in that country and here in the UK.

Speaking on Sky TV’s Sophy ridge show Ms Sturgeon said those to blame for the Manchester terror attack was the bomber himself.

Ms Sturgeon said: We must be free, particularly in a general election campaign, to have honest debates about foreign policy and to have honest debates about security and how we keep the population of the country safe.

And I think we should be able to do that without anybody suggesting that anybody who criticises UK foreign policy, and I’ve got many criticisms of UK foreign policy, is any way, shape or form trying to justify the horrific and dreadful actions of terrorists.”

She said it suited the Conservatives if some issues like police numbers and spending cuts were to be “off-limits”.

Ms Sturgeon added :” But that wouldn’t serve any of the people that we have an obligation to be honest with during this campaign.”