I back Ed Miliband as ‘he’s no’ a Tory’ - Sturgeon

NICOLA Sturgeon has told MSPs she wants Ed Miliband as Prime Minister because “he’s no’ a Tory.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

And she challenged Labour to work with the SNP to block David Cameron’s return to Downing Street if there is an anti-Tory majority after tomorrow’s election.

Tory leader Ruth Davidson said Ms Sturgeon clearly wanted Mr Miliband as Prime Minister, but branded him the “weakest Labour leader in political history” at First Minister’s Questions today.

“Can she tell me the top three things that make him the right man for the job?” the Tory leader asked.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

But Ms Sturgeon hit back: “I’ll tell you the top thing - he’s no’ a Tory.”

Ms Sturgeon launched a stinging attack on the Coalition’s period in office.

“David Cameron’s Tory-led Government, and this is a serious point, has been devastating for vulnerable people across our country.

“David Cameron’s Tory-led Government has pushed more children into poverty, it has undermined our public services, it has held back our economy and I want to see the back of it tomorrow.”

The SNP leader said she wanted a “better government for Scotland” and again appealed to Labour to help bring this about.

Ms Sturgeon said: “It was Ed Miliband on live television last Thursday who said that he would rather not have a Labour government than work with the SNP.”

She called on Labour deputy leader Kezia Dugdale to confirm if this was still the case.

“The question for Labour is this - if we wake up with an anti-Tory majority across the UK, is Labour willing to work with the SNP to kick the Tories out or are they going to stand back and watch David Cameron get right back to Downing Street?”

But Labour deputy leader Kezia Dugdale said the First Minister is “fooling no-one.”

“She said that the SNP would defeat a Labour budget, but she can only do that with Tory votes,” Ms Dugdale said.

“Her deputy has said that the SNP could defeat a Labour Queen’s Speech - but you could only do that with Tory votes.”

She added that SNP have previously voted with the Tories at Holyrood against the living wage, the bedroom tax and on a ban on zero hours contracts.

“When we were on the side of working people in Scotland, the First Minister was on the side of the Tories.”