Tory Poster Puts Labour 'In Salmond's Pocket'

David Cameron has accused Ed Miliband of being in Alex Salmond's pocket as the Tories focus their campaign on an SNP-Labour coalition.

The Prime Minister tweeted the new campaign poster depicting the former Scottish First Minister with a tiny Mr Miliband in his shirt pocket with the line: "The frightening prospect we must avoid".

It was accompanied by a Facebook post in which Mr Cameron wrote: "Britain needs to wake up to a chilling and real prospect: Ed Miliband as Prime Minister, propped up by Alex Salmond who says he will call the tune.

"Again and again, Ed Miliband refuses to rule out this possibility. He is so weak, everyone knows he would be in Alex Salmond's pocket.

"On every vote, every budget, every decision, the SNP would exact a high price for his support.

"Everyone in Britain will pay with higher taxes, more spending, more debt and weaker defences in dangerous times."

Mr Salmond, whose party looks to cause significant damage to Mr Miliband's party north of the border in May, has said Scotland will be able to "call the tune" at Westminster after the General Election.

He said neither Labour nor the Conservatives were fit to govern and that with the Plaid Cymru and the Green party, the SNP could "shake Westminster to its foundations, to rumble up the House of Commons".

Mr Salmond, who is standing to become MP for Gordon, said: "We cannot give any support - formal or informal - to the Tories because of their track record of hostility to Scottish interests and the total bad faith of David Cameron towards the Scottish people the day after the referendum.

"However, support for any other administration comes with the condition of progress for Scotland."

Polling by Lord Ashcroft last week forecast that the SNP could take 56 of the 59 seats - almost wiping out Labour and leaving the party with just two MPs in Scotland.

The Tories are seeking to make capital out of suggestions that the SNP could be kingmakers for Mr Miliband warning a coalition could mark the end of the union.

Mr Miliband has been urging voters in Scotland to vote Labour to "boot out this Tory government".