RICHARD Leonard has insisted his party is getting “a really good response on the doorsteps” despite recent polls suggesting a near wipe-out on Thursday.

The Scottish Labour leader said the election wasn’t “just about Brexit” and that people were also keenly interested in better public services and ending austerity.

On a visit to Edinburgh Sick Kids hospital, which is staying open while its £160m replacement is delayed for a year because of last-minute repairs, he said his party would invest massively in the health service across the UK, with knock-on benefits for Scotland.

He said the Tories would pursue a hard Brexit while the SNP would focus on securing another independence referendum.

He said: “We will invest an additional £2b a year in the National Health Service in Scotland and that will lead to a significant increase in support so we can fill GP and consultant vacancies across Scotland.

“We can start to look at what we can do to expand the health service instead of it being constantly under pressure.”

He added: “We’ve had a really good response on the doorsteps. This election isn’t just about Brexit and it’s certainly not a referendum on a referendum on independence - it’s who’s going to be the Government for the next five years.

“In the end, the choice that people have to make is do they want a Tory Government re-elected for five more years of austerity, a squeeze on living standards and a rolling back of investment in public services, or do they want a Labour Government that will invest in the NHS, start to build houses again, turn back austerity and start to rebuild our economy.

“So that’s the choice that people will face on Thursday when they go into those polling stations.”