‘Desperate’ Cameron slated over Labour-SNP warning

David Cameron’s election campaign has “descended into desperation”, Nicola Sturgeon claimed as she visited Livingston and urged voters to “get the Tories out”.

Nicola Sturgeon is inside Number 10 . . with kids at the ABC Nursery in Dedridge. Picture: PA

The SNP leader criticised the Prime Minister after he warned the public they risked “five long years” of a minority Labour government reliant on “bribes” to smaller parties like the SNP if the Conservatives were not handed a clear mandate at the ballot box.

Warning of the potential “chaos” of such a set-up, Mr Cameron said: “Backroom deals, bribes, ransom notes, chaos. Not just for the week after the election, but for five long years. It doesn’t bear thinking of. Our defences weakened, our ability to pay our way questioned, our United Kingdom threatened.”

But, visiting the ABC Nursery in Dedridge, Ms Sturgeon said the SNP had shown in the Scottish Parliament that minority government could work.

She said: “David Cameron’s campaign has descended into desperation. The SNP has demonstrated that minority government can be stable, successful and effective.

“If there’s an anti-Tory majority on Friday morning, I want to see that anti-Tory majority come together to get the Tories out, but then make sure that it’s replaced with something better.

“The SNP will be a positive, constructive and progressive force in the House of Commons but will stand up very firmly for the things we believe really matter.”

Meanwhile, Gordon Brown made a last-ditch, emotional appeal for people to vote Labour, saying his party could do more for people in minutes than would be achieved in five years with 59 SNP MPs.

He urged Yes voters from last year’s independence referendum to “come to Labour” if they wanted to see change delivered. And he warned Scots that if they back the SNP they made it more likely the Tories emerged as the largest party and David Cameron remained as prime minister.

Mr Brown said: “You could have 59 SNP MPs but you would probably have a Conservative government.

“We can achieve more in a few short minutes with Labour ministers and a Labour cabinet than we could ever achieve in five long years under the Conservatives, with all the SNP MPs in opposition.”

Mr Brown also accused the Tories of stoking up English nationalism with their warnings about the damaging impact of the SNP if it could influence a Labour government.

He said they had “put party before country”. And he continued: “They have whipped up English nationalism against Scottish nationalism, they are putting the Union on life support.”

NOTHING IN IT

Two polls show the parties still deadlocked. The final Ashcroft national poll puts the Tories on 32 per cent and Labour on 30, while a Survation poll has Labour on 34 and the Conservatives on 33.

Tory-Lib Dem deal ‘is risk to families’

A FRESH coalition between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats poses a “huge risk” to working families, Ed Miliband will warn in his final push for votes today.

The Labour leader will accuse both parties of defending the non-dom tax avoidance rule continuing to “protect the privileged few”.

Mr Miliband has indicated that abolishing non-dom status would be a red line for any post-election deal.

He will tell voters today: “We can’t carry on as a country where there is one rule for a few and another rule for everyone else.

“There is huge risk to working families from a second term Tory government, including one propped up by the Lib Dems. They will raid your family budget, they will cut your NHS, but they will continue to protect the privileged few.”