AUSTERITY and party deals after the election took centre stage as Scotland's leaders clashed in the final TV debate before the election

The four leaders debated in Edinburgh and possible coalitions, deals and red line issues were the focus of the most heated exchanges.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for the SNP said her's was the only anti austerity party.

For Labour, Scottish leader Jim Murphy outlined a range of polices on taxes and said it was the programme of redistribution.

LibDem leader Willie Rennie accused the SNP of always seeking another referendum and Ruth Davidson said the Tories would cut £30bn if re-elected.

The biggest row came between Nicola Sturgeon and Jim Murphy on a deal after a hung parliament.

Nicola Sturgeon said the SNP would vote against a Labour minority budget if it was imposing more cuts on poor people.

She said it was then for the government to rethink and seek agreement.

Mr Murphy said there would be no deals with the SNP.

He said Labour wanted a majority, but if it was a minority it would propose a programme for government and it would be for the others to choose to support it or not.

He accused the SNP of being prepared to vote with the Tories to bring down a Labour government

Ms Sturgeon said if Labour was imposing more cuts on the poor the SNP would vote against it and it would be up to Labour to rethink and negotiate with others as the SNP had to do in 2009 when its budget was defeated in the Scottish Parliament.

The leaders took questions on housing, voting reform and abolishing the House of Lords.

The other big topic was austerity.

The LibDems and Tory Leaders defended the last five years of cuts and said it was necessary to "balance the books" in this generation.

Ms Davidson said: "We don't want to balance the books on the backs of children in the future."

She outlined the Tory plans for £30bn of cuts over the next three years. And said The Tories were not understating the level of cuts.

Mr Murphy said Labour wouldn't balance the books "on the backs of the poor and disabled".

After admitting there would be some cuts he said: "We can't ask the poor to pay any more."

Ms Sturgeon took the opportunity to put distance between the SNP and the other parties.

She said she wanted modest spending increases. She said: "If you want further cuts you've got three parties to choose from. If you want to end austerity it's only the SNP."