"Labour will not go into coalition government with the SNP."
Speaking in Leeds in March 2015, Ed Miliband insisted the idea of a Labour-SNP coalition is “nonsense, it will not happen… There will be no SNP ministers in any government I lead.”
During the BBC Election Debate in April 2015, the Labour Leader confirmed his pledge when responding to Ms Sturgeon’s offer to work with him to replace the Tories: “I think it would be a disaster for the working people of Britain. So we have profound differences between us, that is why I am not going to have a coalition with the SNP… So it’s a No, I’m afraid”.
Initially, Mr Miliband stopped short of ruling out a less formal arrangement that would involve the smaller party offering voting support to shore up Labour on crucial votes.
However, in April 2015, when asked on The Andrew Marr Show if he would negotiate with the SNP in the event of a hung parliament, Mr Miliband said: “It’s not happening. I want to be clear about this. No coalition, no tie-ins. I’m not doing deals with the Scottish National Party.”
Sources
Miliband: No SNP Ministers In My Government (Sky News)
Sturgeon: Help Me Lock Cameron Out Of No 10 (Sky News)
Sturgeon Tells Miliband: I Will Make You PM (Sky News)
Updates
Ed Miliband rules out 'confidence and supply' SNP deal (ITV News)
Sturgeon: "I suspect Ed Miliband will change his tune once the votes are counted." (Sky News)
We are monitoring a related promise by Nicola Sturgeon: "The SNP will never put the Tories into government" (Link)
Miliband: No Labour government if it means a deal with SNP (They Made a Promise)
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