David Cameron warns of Labour-SNP 'coalition of chaos'

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/17/david-cameron-labour-snp-coalition-of-chaos

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David Cameron has gone on the attack following the clash between Ed Miliband and Nicola Sturgeon during the opposition leaders’ TV debate, claiming the Labour leader would be in hock to Scottish nationalists if he was allowed to form a minority government.

Conservative officials said the idea of a full coalition deal between Labour and the SNP was a red herring since both parties had ruled it out, and that the issue was whether Miliband would come to an informal arrangement with Sturgeon to hold power.

Speaking in the West Midlands on Friday, Cameron said: “The fact is that Labour cannot win a majority on their own. They can only get into Downing Street with the support of the SNP. What is it that the SNP want? They want more borrowing, they want more taxes, they want more unlimited borrowing – they want all the things that got us into this mess in the first place.

“The only way to stop this Ed Miliband SNP government taking place is to have a Conservative majority government.” Cameron added that he was only 23 seats short of a majority.

Sturgeon continued to appeal for Miliband to agree to a deal with her to lock Cameron out of Downing Street if the CTories fail to win a majority. She said: “In three weeks, if Labour and the SNP have more MPs than Cameron, is Miliband really going to say he won’t work with us?”

On Friday, Miliband denied he would be dependent on the support of the SNP to run a viable minority Labour administration. Speaking in Lincoln, he said he would never let the SNP force Labour to compromise on national security, fiscal responsibility or the future of the United Kingdom.

“The first budget of a Labour government is going to be written by a Labour government,” he said. “It is not going to be written by Nicola Sturgeon or Alex Salmond or anybody else in the SNP.”

He repeated his rejection of Sturgeon’s offer of a post-election deal. “My message to Nicola Sturgeon is ‘thanks, but no thanks’. If you want a Labour government, my message is very simple: vote Labour.”

Miliband also questioned Sturgeon’s motives, claiming that her goal was a second referendum on Scottish independence.

Labour is locked in a battle for survival in Scotland and is warning voters that if they vote SNP, the Conservatives will be the largest party in Westminster and will probably get the first chance to form a government.

Labour believes that if it comes first or second in terms of seats, and neither main party has an overall majority, it can try to form a minority administration without SNP co-operation. Such a move would force Sturgeon’s party to decide whether to vote down a Labour minority administration, something she has promised never to do.

Tory sources pointed to previous commitments by Sturgeon to use her influence in the Commons, including comments on Wednesday about the SNP being able after 7 May to use its presence in Westminster to “change the course” of a Labour government.

“It’s perfectly possible to defeat governments on issues and to change the course of governments on issues without bringing the government down,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Cameron said Thursday night’s TV debate had shown “an array of leftwing parties committed to more borrowing and debt” and which wanted to “scrap the plan that has created two million jobs in our country and is paying down the deficit and is making Britain a success story”.

He added: “They all think to one degree or other that the right answer is to install Ed Miliband in Downing Street backed by the SNP, a combination to break up Britain and bankrupt Britain, and I think that would be disastrous for our country. I think you saw on our television screens just a hint of the chaos that you would get from that sort of coalition.

“I think a very clear message will come over in the next few days that there is only one way to stop this coalition of chaos and that is to have a Conservative majority government.”

Related: Britain asks: where is David Cameron?

Cameron defended his decision to avoid the leaders’ debate, which was watched by more than four million people. “This was a challengers debate – an idea of the broadcasters to have a debate of the opposition parties to which Nick Clegg and I were not invited,” he said. Labour has disputed Cameron’s claim and maintained that the prime minister declined to take part.

Cameron rejected Miliband’s call on Thursday night for a head-to-head debate, saying: “There are 146 debates at prime minister’s questions. People will have seen a lot of those to get the measure of us.”

Miliband repeated his challenge to Cameron on Friday, saying the prime minister wanted to “duck and weave” his way back into Downing Street. “If he had guts, he would come out and accept my challenge to debate me, one on one, head to head.”

Labour is relieved that Miliband avoided the worst traps in the debate and pleased with a poll finding – now under challenge – suggesting viewers believe he won the debate.

Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, accused the polling company ICM of failing to ensure a balanced studio audience..