Scotland will decide next British government, says Labour leader Jim Murphy

Mr Murphy told supporters at a rally in Glasgow that 'a vote for any other party is a vote for David Cameron and the Tories'

Despite assurances from the nationalists that they would not support a Tory government and were prepared to join Labour in blocking the Conservatives’ ability to run a minority government, Mr Murphy told supporters that “a vote for any other party is a vo (GETTY)

Scotland’s voters will decide which party forms the next government, Labour’s Scottish leader has said.

Jim Murphy launched his party’s campaign north of the border with an attack on the SNP’s claim that they will hold the balance of power.

At a rally in Glasgow the former Scottish Secretary said “only Labour is big enough and strong enough” to end David Cameron’s aims of winning a second term.

Despite assurances from the nationalists that they would not support a Tory government and were prepared to join Labour in blocking the Conservatives’ ability to run a minority government, Mr Murphy told supporters that “a vote for any other party is a vote for David Cameron and the Tories.”

He said the choice facing voters was “clear” and was between “five more years of Tory hardship – or a Scotland where working class Scots succeed.”

Labour are effectively running two campaigns in the run up to May 5. One where they need to stay in touching distance of the Conservatives as the largest party in England and Wales, and a second campaign where they can avoid a meltdown of their 40 Scottish MPs.

Mr Murphy’s message on who would decide the election, suggests a calculation by the UK Labour that if the SNP deliver the predicted wipeout of Labour MPs north of the border, Ed Miliband cannot become prime minister.

Scottish Labour’s campaign continues to push the distributive ability of the union to help poorer communities in Scotland. After stating that taxes on bankers bonuses would be used to continue free university education in Scotland, Mr Murphy said Labour were planning to end the growing use of foodbanks, guarantee jobs for young people, and banning zero hours contracts. An anti-poverty fund would be set up in Scotland alongside the abolition of the so-called “bedroom tax.”

The SNP, who will hold their largest ever conference in Glasgow on Saturday with over 3,000 delegates attending, attempted to counter the Labour launch by repeating that they could “lock David Cameron out of Downing Street “ and that only the SNP “could make Scotland’s voice heard at Westminster like never before.”

The SNP’s campaign director, Angus Robertson, hinted at a future relationship with Labour saying his party would “join with other progressive parties” to “work for the common good”.