Nicola Sturgeon to speak at conference

Voting 'No' in the independence referendum will allow the UK Government to "turn the screw" on Scotland, according to SNP's deputy leader.

In her speech at the party’s annual conference in Perth today, Nicola Sturgeon will state budget cuts, threatened public services and the dismantling of Scotland's social security system if the vote does not back independence.

She'll tell delegates that Westminster politicians from across the political parties are "itching" to abolish the Barnett formula which is used to calculate Scotland's share of the UK budget.

Voters will be urged "not to let anyone pull the wool over their eyes" about the consequences of a No vote.

A spokesman for the Better Together campaign said:

"Every time a nationalist mentions their positive campaign over the next year, they should be handed these ridiculous words from Nicola Sturgeon. This takes scaremongering to a new level. It is embarrassing."