Sturgeon chasing Labour votes in Gordon Brown seat

Sturgeon has called on Labour to outline their plans for Scottish cuts. Picture: PA

The First minister insisted that only the SNP offer an alternative to five more years of the “Westminster austerity consensus” during a visit to children’s charity Barnardo’s.

The SNP says it is committed to a 0.5 per cent real terms increase in public spending to allow investment in public services, while both the Tories and Labour have said there will need to be more cuts.

Labour has faced difficult questions in recent days as Ed Balls and Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna publicly rejected Jim Murphy’s claim that there would be no Labour cuts in Scotland.

“Now that it has been established by Labour’s leaders in Westminster that they plan more cuts in Scotland, Ed Miliband and Jim Murphy now need to spell out exactly where their axe would fall,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“With only a week to go before postal voting begins, Jim Murphy can’t keep ducking and diving and trying to hide the impact of Labour’s cuts plans.

“Austerity is causing real harm in communities across the country – hurting our must vulnerable people, putting family budgets under strain and holding back economic growth. And the Labour-Tory plans for a further £30bn of cuts will only see the situation get even worse.”

Ms Sturgeon launched the SNP Guarantee to Labour voters at the weekend, and according to the most recent YouGov poll 41 per cent of people who voted Labour in 2010 now intend to vote SNP which represents over 400,000 people.

Ms Sturgeon added: “That Labour were so quick to fall into line with George Osborne’s cuts plans is an indication of just how far they have moved away from their roots – so it’s no wonder that so many people who would traditionally have voted Labour are now putting their faith in the SNP to stand up to the Tories and stand up for Scotland.”