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“It’s great to be here in
Aberdeenshire today as we approach the most important election the United
Kingdom has faced in my lifetime – an election in which every single vote will
count. And my message to the people of Scotland is clear – every vote for me
and my team will strengthen my hand in the Brexit negotiations. That will
strengthen the union, strengthen the economy and the UK and Scotland together
will flourish, because if Scotland is flourishing, the rest of the United
Kingdom is flourishing too. And that’s really important, because as Prime Minister
for the United Kingdom, I want to see every part of our country succeed. I want
businesses here in Aberdeenshire to succeed and to thrive just as I do
businesses across the rest of the United Kingdom. I want young people in the
northeast of Scotland to have a secure job and a bright future, just as I do
for young people in the south west of England. I want to see every single part
of our country thrive and succeed.
And of course as I say,
every vote for me and my team will be a vote to strengthen our hand in those
Brexit negotiations. And my commitment is to ensure that we get the right deal
from those Brexit negotiations, and that’s what is important. As I say, every
vote for me and my team strengthens my hand in those negotiations. Every vote
for me and my team is a vote for 5 years of strong and stable leadership to
take us through Brexit and beyond. Every vote for me and my team is a vote for
strong and stable leadership in the national interest, and that is what this
election is about. It’s about leadership, it’s about stability, it’s about
doing the right thing for Britain, and you’ll only get that with the strong and
stable government that the Conservatives can provide, because that is what we
have shown in government. If you just think back, when I first took over as
Prime Minister just after the referendum, the predictions of immediate
financial crash, of economic danger, but actually because of the strength the
government has shown, what we’ve seen is consumer confidence remain high, we’ve
seen that there are record numbers of jobs and overall growth has been beyond
all expectations. When I took over as Prime Minister, people said the country
was divided. They said it would never come back together again, but actually
today I see a unity of purpose as people want the government to get on with
Brexit and make a success of it.
And when I took over as
Prime Minister, what was needed was a clear vision and the determination to get
on with that job of Brexit, and that’s exactly what the government provided.
And that’s the security that strong and stable government can provide. I think
it’s what leadership looks like. So at this general election people will have a
very clear choice. Between 5 years of strong and stable leadership with me and
my team, or a coalition of chaos led by Jeremy Corbyn. And that’s what’s on
offer of course, because if you look at the other parties, they’re lining up to
prop up Jeremy Corbyn. We see it from the Liberal Democrats and we see it from
Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish Nationalists.
And what they’re doing
is they want to disrupt our Brexit negotiations, undermine the task ahead, stop
us from taking Britain forward, and every SNP MP who’s elected to Westminster
puts a step closer Jeremy Corbyn getting in to Downing Street. And they want to
disrupt our Brexit negotiations by disrupting this election. And make no
mistake, it could happen. Just remember this, the opinion polls were wrong in
the 2015 general election. They were wrong in last year’s referendum. And
Jeremy Corbyn himself has pointed out, he was a 200-1 chance as Labour leader
in 2015 – look what happened there.
No, this election is
going to be won by real people voting on June 8th, real votes on
June 8th, and it’s important that we get that strong and stable
government that will only come under the Conservatives. Because we want to
build a stronger future for this country. Because we want to ensure we get the
right deal for Britain in Europe. A deal that works for every part of the
United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, for North and
South, for town, for city, for countryside – that’s what the Conservatives have
a plan for. That is what our vision is. And you only get that with a strong and
stable government. And we want to provide that stronger future by ensuring we
build a stronger economy, an economy where hard work is rewarded. An economy
where we see secure jobs, well paid jobs.
An economy where we see
people able to get on through their own talents. It’s what our modern
industrial strategy is about – ensuring that we help firms grow and prosper
across the whole of the United Kingdom. That’s why the strategy here in
Scotland would continue to support the oil and gas sector, making the most of
future opportunities. It’s why we will ensure that we support and give a
brighter future, a better future, for Scottish fishermen, by coming out of the
common fisheries policy. And we want to support Scottish manufacturing,
including in the vital defence sector and the great Scottish shipyards. But
also we want to build new markets for Scotland’s world leading food and drink
products. And we want to ensure that we build a more secure and united nation.
And that means taking action against the extremists who would divide us, and
standing up against the separatists who want to break up our country.
There is only one party
that is committed to the union. There’s only one candidate for Prime Minister
who will stand up and defend the United Kingdom. And my commitment is clear,
that if you strengthen my hand in those Brexit negotiations, I will work to
ensure that Scotland and the UK flourish together. So on June 8th,
vote for 5 years of strong and stable leadership. Give me the mandate to lead
Britain. Give me the mandate to speak for Britain. Give me the mandate for
Britain, and give me the mandate to deliver for Britain.”
ENDS
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