Ed Miliband would rather Tories in power than SNP

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was out on the campaign trail in Edinburgh yesterday. Picture: PA

He suggested he would forego the chance of becoming prime minister if it meant having to rely on an agreement with the Nationalists.

But he left open the option of forming a minority government and challenging other parties to vote against them.

With polls showing the election is likely to result in a hung parliament and a large bloc of SNP MPs, Mr Miliband was asked during a special TV Question Time whether Labour would work with Nicola Sturgeon’s party.

He said he was not prepared to negotiate either a coalition or a confidence and supply arrangement. “If it meant we weren’t going to be in government because we were not having a deal, then so be it.

“I’m not sacrificing the future of this country, the unity of this country, I will not give in to SNP demands about Trident or the deficit or anything like that.”

“I’m not going to have a Labour government if it means deals or coalitions with the Scottish National Party. If the price of Labour government was coalition or a deal with the SNP, it’s not going to happen.”

Asked what he would do if he failed to secure an overall majority, Mr Miliband said: “I am not going to start bartering away my manifesto, whatever the outcome of the election, even if I don’t win a majority.

“We are in a new world in Britain. It was the first coalition that there had been for a long time. But in my view, if we don’t have a majority government it is not about saying go into a darkened room with somebody and start lopping off bits of your manifesto.”

Mr Miliband made his comments during the last UK-wide televised leaders’ event of the election campaign, where the leaders faced audience questions separately after David Cameron refused to take part in a head-to-head debate.

In a follow-up programme, Nicola Sturgeon – who campaigned in the Capital yesterday – said if Mr Miliband wanted a minority government he would have to win support from other parties. “He won’t get his Budget through unless he compromises and listens to other parties.

She said: “It sounded as if he was saying he would rather see the Conservatives back in government than work with the SNP. If he means that, I don’t think the people of Scotland will ever forgive Labour for allowing the Conservatives back into office.”