Ed Miliband is still “clinging to the pretence” that he has a chance of winning an overall majority in the election, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The Scottish First Minister said her party was open to an arrangement with Labour and suggested many of its backbenchers would support certain SNP policies such as bringing an end to austerity and scrapping Trident.
The Labour leader has ruled out a formal coalition with the SNP after repeated calls for him to do so.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Of course he is going to say this.
“He is still clinging to the pretence he has got some chance of winning an overall majority.
“We have got vast experience as a minority Government … the principles are the same. You have to build alliances, you have to win votes on a case-by-case basis.
“It would be far better than what usually happens to Scotland at Westminster, which is we are ignored or sidelined.
“The bottom line here is, if Scotland wants to have that influence, that power, that clout in Westminster, the only way get it is to vote SNP.
“If there is real SNP strength in the House of Commons we can force progressive change.”
Asked whether Alex Salmond’s claim that the SNP could lock the Tories out of government was arrogant, Ms Sturgeon replied: “If the Tories can’t command a majority, then they don’t deserve to be in government.”
She also refused to comment on the date of a future independence referendum, saying that would not be influenced by the result of the May poll.
Ms Sturgeon told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “I don’t know at this stage when there will be another referendum.
“These things will be determined by the people of Scotland in the normal way.”
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