David Cameron posts Alex Salmond ‘budget’ video

David Cameron warned only a vote for the Tories could prevent Alex Salmond from writing Labour's budget. Picture: Getty

The Prime Minister tweeted a link to a video of the former first minister making the claim at an election fundraiser earlier this month in an attempt to highlight the possibility of an SNP/Labour deal.

Mr Cameron accused Mr Salmond of laughing and boasting about the influence he would hold over an administration led by Labour leader Ed Miliband.

But Mr Salmond responded by accusing the Prime Minister of having a “sense of humour bypass”.

The clash between the two came amid more speculation about the general election delivering a Labour government propped up by the SNP. The focus on the prospect of such a pact saw Mr Miliband pledge not to strike “an agreement” with the Nationalists.

The Prime Minister’s tweet drew attention to a film of an event that saw Mr Salmond joke about what might happen after the election.

In front of SNP supporters, Mr Salmond mocked the Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy, who had received a put-down from the shadow business secretary Chukka Umunna.

Mr Umunna had said the Scottish Labour leader would “not write the Labour Party Budget” after Mr Murphy had claimed there would be no cuts under Labour – an assertion that was promptly contradicted by shadow chancellor Ed Balls.

Mr Salmond said: “I got a fleeting message that the Labour [shadow] financial secretary had said on the Andrew Neil programme when he was challenged about this and what Jim Murphy had said, he said, famously, the Scottish Labour leader will not write the Budget.”

He then added: “But I knew that already because I am writing the Labour Party Budget.”

Mr Cameron’s tweet published a link to the video alongside the comment: “This footage will shock you: Alex Salmond laughs & boasts he’ll write Labour’s budget. Vote Conservative to stop it.”

Responding to Mr Cameron’s tweet, Mr Salmond said: “The point made in a light-hearted way was that Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy had been slapped down by his party bosses at Westminster and told that he would have no role in a Labour Budget. David Cameron is clearly a prime minister with both a people bypass and a sense of humour bypass.”

Later Mr Cameron said it was “very serious” to have Mr Salmond “picking the pockets” of taxpayers elsewhere in the UK.

Earlier Mr Cameron made his own joke at Mr Salmond’s expense during an unguarded comment while he was appearing on ITV’s This Morning programme. At the end of the Prime Minister’s appearance, host Philip Schofield moved on to the next item.

Mr Schofield said: “Up next, a man who can pinch your wallet, your watch and even your tie without you noticing.”

Mr Cameron, who was off camera, could then be heard asking: “Is that Alex Salmond?”

Mr Salmond said: “Of course, it’s typical of David Cameron to make an off-microphone jibe but he didn’t have the bottle to debate in the referendum, or with Nicola Sturgeon – if he had, he’d be looking even more hot and bothered.”

Meanwhile Mr Miliband was questioned about working with the SNP when the Labour leader was on BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine show.

Mr Miliband said: “There isn’t going to be a coalition.” Pressed on whether there would be “an agreement”, he replied: “There isn’t going to be that.”