Nicola Sturgeon last night refused to rule out a second independence referendum if the UK approves plans to renew the controversial Trident nuclear missile system.
The first minister was challenged on the issue as the leaders of the four main Scottish parties clashed at the final TV leaders debate before Thursday’s election.
Despite agreeing at the outset that they would not talk over each other, the exchanges between Ms Sturgeon, Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, Labour’s Jim Murphy and Ruth Davidson of the Conservatives, were often bad-tempered.
With the opinion polls suggesting that Labour faces major losses in Scotland this week, Mr Murphy had little choice but to come out fighting, and did so from early in the proceedings.
But he was accused by Ms Davidson of peddling “an outright lie” about benefit sanctions for jobseekers.
Mr Murphy claimed there was a “deliberate policy” at the Jobcentre under the Conservatives to sanction benefit claimants no matter what they do.
Ms Davidson reacted angrily, saying “I’m sorry, I’m going to use un-parliamentary language, but that is an outright lie.”
Mr Murphy responded: “How dare you call me a liar. How dare you deal in that sort of way.”
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There were further heated exchanges over plans for spending cuts, the future of the Barnett funding formula, tactical voting, and whether the SNP planned a second independence referendum.
Ms Sturgeon has said there would not be another vote unless there was a change of circumstances, but Mr Rennie put her on the spot by asking if a decision to replace the Trident weapons system could trigger a referendum on independence.
The first minister dodged the question, saying: “I’m going to use to try to use whatever clout the SNP has to stop the renewal of Trident, because I want £100billion to spend on schools and hospitals.”
Mr Murphy suggested that the SNP leader introduce a moratorium which would ban any more independence referendums in the next five or six years.
The SNP’s plans to give Scotland full fiscal autonomy also came under the microscope, with the pro-UK leaders warning that it could lead to a multi-billion budget cut for the country.
Mr Murphy said: “Nicola, you can’t parade around the country saying you are against austerity when you are going to make cuts that are deeper even that those proposed by the Conservative Party.”
Mr Rennie said: “You’re not talking about it Nicola, but I can tell you that people in Scotland are worried about it.”
The Nationalist leader claimed the issue was a “mythology” peddled by the “desperate” other parties.
“Of all the people I’ve spoken to during this election campaign, and it’s a lot of people, no-one has mentioned this to me. What they are talking about is the cuts that Labour, the Liberals and Tories are planning this year, next year and the year after,” she said.