SNP offer former coalition ‘locking David Cameron out of Downing Street’ – even if Tories win more seats

Writing in The Observer, Sturgeon offers to form an anti-austerity pact with Labour if they have the seats to defeat the Conservatives, ‘regardless of which is the biggest party’.

She writes: ‘If together our parties have the parliamentary numbers required after 7 May, and regardless of which is the biggest party, will he and Labour join with us in locking David Cameron out of Downing Street?’

Nicola Sturgeon makes an impression during the leaders’ debate.The offer comes after claims from the Daily Telegraph that Sturgeon told a French ambassador that Miliband was ‘not Prime Minister material’ and that she would rather see Cameron in Downing Street, according to a leaked Foreign Office memo – although Sturgeon vehemently denies making the remarks.

The affair has become known as ‘Frenchgate’, after Sturgeon tweeted about what she’s called ‘a political dirty trick’. Cabinet secretary Jeremy Heywood has since ordered an inquiry into the leak.

In her Observer piece, Sturgeon yet again said the Telegraph’s claims were ‘100% untrue’.

She wrote: ‘I’d like to address the matter of the leaked UK government memo about my meeting with the French ambassador. This story has already been shown to be 100% untrue – having been comprehensively rejected by both the French ambassador and consul general.’

She then proved her confidence in the Labour leader by offering Miliband a formal alliance – that could technically defy the will of the British people, meaning the party that won the most seats would not enter Government.

It’s a move that will add credence to criticism that the SNP only represent the interests of Scotland, not Britain, despite a strong performance in Thursday’s leaders’ debate in which many commentators said Sturgeon emerged as the standout candidate.

However, it may harm Miliband’s chances of winning the May 7 election outright, as the election remains too close to call just a month before the public go to the polls.

Labour face the prospect of a wipe out in Scotland where the SNP are widely tipped to take around three quarters of their 41 seats.

The loss of those seats could be the difference between beating the Tories and losing the election for Miliband, which is why he’s been keen to rule out an alliance with the SNP, openly telling the Scottish people that the only realistic chance of fighting austerity is to vote Labour.