Statement from Martin Docherty-Hughes MP
“The Prime Minister’s announcement is timed to take advantage of a Tory surge in the polls south of the border. The ineffective and contradictory leadership of the Labour Party has been extremely damaging, and it is clear that the Labour Party will lose yet more seats to the Tories in the coming election.
“In contrast, SNP MPs have been effective at challenging the UK Government on many of the worst excesses of the right wing of their party, and we are opposed to their hard Brexit plan that will be devastating for our economy. My colleagues and I also continue to represent our constituents, providing help to thousands of people in our constituencies, hit hard by Tory austerity and the on-going dismantling of the Social Security system.
“I will stand on the SNP’s record and my own personal work in the constituency, and I welcome this opportunity Scotland has to reject the Tory Government and re-elect a strong SNP Opposition, fighting for Scotland’s interests.”
Statement from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP
“This announcement is one of the most extraordinary U-turns in recent political history, and it shows that Theresa May is once again putting the interests of her party ahead of those of the country.
“She is clearly betting that the Tories can win a bigger majority in England given the utter disarray in the Labour Party.
“That makes it all the important that Scotland is protected from a Tory Party which now sees the chance of grabbing control of government for many years to come and moving the UK further to the right — forcing through a hard Brexit and imposing deeper cuts in the process.
“That means that this will be — more than ever before — an election about standing up for Scotland, in the face of a right-wing, austerity obsessed Tory government with no mandate in Scotland but which now thinks it can do whatever it wants and get away with it.
“In terms of Scotland, this move is a huge political miscalculation by the Prime Minister.
“It will once again give people the opportunity to reject the Tories’ narrow, divisive agenda, as well as reinforcing the democratic mandate which already exists for giving the people of Scotland a choice on their future.
“The SNP will always put the people of Scotland first — and between now and June 8, we will work harder than ever to retain the trust of the people.”