SCOTLAND wouldn't forgive Labour if it turned its back on a deal with the SNP to kick out the Tories, the Nationalist's deputy leader said.

 

Stewart Hosie, MP, said David Cameron can only get back into Downing Street if Labour let him.

He said refusing to deal with the SNP would mean Labour preferred another five years of a Tory government, which would be unacceptable to the majority of Scots voters.

Mr Hosie responded to Ed Miliband's speech where he was ruling out a coalition and trying to put as much distance between Labour and the SNP without closing the door completely on an informal deal.

The SNP Deputy leader said: "As the polls all show, there is widespread support for Scotland to have a powerful position in a hung parliament at Westminster by electing a strong team of SNP MPs.

" If there are more anti-Tory MPs in the House of Commons than Tory MPs, the only circumstances in which David Cameron could walk back into Downing Street is if Labour let him, the SNP never will.

"And if Labour really preferred a Tory government to working with the SNP, and if they let David Cameron back into Downing Street, that would never be forgiven or forgotten by the people of Scotland."

The SNP has said it is willing to offer support on a "confidence and supply" basis on individual votes to a Labour minority government.

Mr Hosie added: "A strong team of SNP MPs elected in May will always promote Scotland's interests and never do a deal with the Tories.

"If Labour refused to work with us to lock David Cameron out of Downing Street, the people of Scotland would simply never forgive them."