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General Election 2015: Miliband rules out 'any kind' of deal with SNP if Labour biggest party in hung parliament

The Labour leader toughened his language on the issue as a fresh poll showed Nicola Sturgeon’s party was on course to pick up dozens of seats from Labour

Sunday 26 April 2015 13:37 BST

Ed Miliband and Nicola Sturgeon would turn Britain into a 'communist dictatorship, warns Sarah Vine (Getty)

Ed Miliband has ruled out “any kind” of deal with the Scottish National Party if Labour is the biggest party in a hung parliament next month.

The Labour leader toughened his language on the issue as a fresh poll showed Nicola Sturgeon’s party was on course to pick up dozens of seats from Labour on May 7.

That could leave him dependant on SNP support to get its legislation through the Commons if he heads a minority government.

Mr Miliband has already firmly rejected any suggestion of a coalition between Labour and the Nationalists.

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Show all 10

1/10In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Andrew Hawkins (ComRes)

“This is an election of wild promises and political cross-dressing; so no differentiation, no breakthrough, no majority. The most likely outcome is Ed Miliband in No 10 because only he will be in a position to work with enough parties (that is, the SNP) to form a workable government.”

Andrew Hawkins

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Joe Twyman (YouGov)

“As each day passes and the Conservatives fail to increase their vote share, the likelihood of Ed Miliband becoming PM (albeit still with a minority) grows. That’s due to the continued performance of the SNP in Scotland and former Lib Dem voters propping up Labour in England.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Ben Page (Ipsos MORI)

“A better week for Ed Miliband than for David Cameron – personal ratings improving, and the betting markets moved in his favour. The poll numbers have him ahead by a whisker which, combined with the electoral maths, makes him more likely to be able to form some kind of government on the raw numbers right now. However, Cameron will be hoping for a 1992 moment when ultimately voters can’t quite bring themselves to try someone else – and 38 per cent of voters still say they may change their mind.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Rick Nye (Populus)

“The Populus/Hanover Predictor has Ed Miliband ending up as Prime Minister in more than five out of six simulations we run.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Nick Moon (GfK)

“Tories most seats, SNP 45 or more, Ukip fewer than five: minority Labour government.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Damian Lyons Lowe (Survation)

“Ukip’s vote share is prone to be squeezed, benefiting the Conservatives, while the SNP’s onslaught on Labour continues. Based on three UK/Scotland polls, I am upgrading the Conservatives and the SNP, and downgrading Labour. Both the Lib Dems on 30 seats and Ukip on 5 to 10 remain unchanged.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Michelle Harrison (TNS)

“Still no change, but Nicola Sturgeon goes from strength to strength in Scotland. For me, who the biggest party is will hinge on the crucial marginals. But what ultimately wins – safety first, for the Tories, or Labour’s ‘get out the vote’ ground war?”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

James Endersby (Opinium Research)

“Our poll today shows a one-point Tory lead, statistically a tie. It’s going to be incredibly tight. Labour and the Tories would do well to be negotiating with the smaller parties behind the scenes. In the likely event of a hung parliament, we’ve been testing various combinations of coalition. Labour teaming up with the Lib Dems would be more popular than with the SNP, which in turn would be more popular than a Tory/UKIP scenario.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Martin Boon (ICM)

“Not much going on really, and no reason to change my mind. Tories by a couple of points.

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Lord Ashcroft (Lord Ashcroft Polls)

He refuses to make predictions. “My polls are snapshots, not predictions.”

Rex

But he went further when he was asked whether he could accept their support for a minority Labour government’s budgets and in a confidence vote – a so-called “confidence and supply” arrangement – in return for concessions. He replied: “I am not interested in deals, no.”

The Labour leader said: “If it is a Labour government it will be a Labour Queen’s Speech, it will be a Labour Budget. It will not be written by the SNP.”

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The Conservatives have mounted a fierce campaign attack on Labour in recent days claiming that Mr Miliband would be “held to ransom” by the SNP if he gets into Downing Street.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: “There is no way Miliband could conceivably govern except with the help of the SNP, maybe crouching on his back like a monkey or whatever. I don't want to use any more ill-advised animal metaphors, but that is the reality, and I think it is actually deeply alarming.”

A Panelbase survey today put the SNP on a commanding 48 per cent support in Scotland, with Labour on 27 per cent, the Conservatives on 16 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 4 per cent.

That could result in the number of SNP MPs leaping from six to 53, with Labour reduced from 41 to just five. The Liberal Democrats could lose all but one of the 11 seats they won five years ago, while the Tories would lose their solitary seat.

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