Sturgeon: Labour Voters Appalled By No To SNP

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SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon says traditional Labour voters are "appalled" by Ed Miliband's refusal to do a deal with her party.

She said if there is a hung parliament after Thursday's vote, the Labour leader would appear to prefer to see another Tory government rather than enter into an alliance with the SNP.

"I think he has over the past 48 hours or so appalled many traditional Labour voters ... when he said on Thursday night, or he seemed to say, that he would - if it came to it - rather see the Conservatives back in office and turn his back on the chance to be Prime Minister, than work with the SNP," she told Sky's Murnaghan programme.

"And I think people would find that very, very hard to believe - and hard to accept.

"If there is an opportunity surely to get the Tories - who've done so much damage to communities across the UK - out of office and replace the Government with something more progressive, then surely Ed Miliband would want to seize that opportunity. I know the SNP will."

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Mr Miliband declared during the leaders' debate on Thursday: "If the price of a Labour government is a coalition or a deal with the SNP, it is not going to happen."

He repeated the statement at a Labour rally in Glasgow, adding: "We cannot do a deal with a party that wants to break up the UK when we want to build it up."

Ms Sturgeon said if the chance was offered, then it was "looking likely" any deal with Labour would be on a vote by vote basis - and a formal coalition was "highly unlikely".

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She was also asked what changes she would demand to Labour's manifesto programme if an alliance was struck - including its pledge to cut the deficit every year.

She said the coalition's spending cuts had been "very painful" to people - and her plans would see the deficit fall and public spending rise.

Ms Sturgeon also stressed she would not be seeking another referendum as part of any talks with Labour after election.

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Both the Tories and Labour insist they can win an outright majority on Thursday - and will not need coalition partners.

Former foreign secretary William Hague refused to "speculate" on the election result, despite polls showing the two main parties are neck and neck, and said many voters have not made up their minds yet.

He told Murnaghan: "We are out for a majority and think anything else is very dangerous for the UK."

Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman said Labour can "absolutely" win a majority.

Earlier, Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy said he "wanted to laugh" when he heard Ms Sturgeon question Mr Miliband's commitment to "progressive politics".

He added: "Look, the Labour party has existed since its first day standing out against the Tories, standing for a sense of social justice, standing for a belief in dignity at work.

"The Labour party has always been a party that will stand up for working class families

"Only Labour is big enough and strong enough to stand up to the Tories. If Scotland votes Labour the whole of Britain will have a Labour government."

Tonight, party leaders in Scotland will face each other in a final TV debate before the country goes to the polls.

Ms Sturgeon, Jim Murphy, Willie Rennie and Ruth Davidson will take part in a live BBC debate in Edinburgh in what will be one of the final big events of the election campaign in Scotland.