General Election 2015: Alex Salmond says he’s “writing the Labour Party’s budget”
David Cameron has tweeted a video of former SNP leader Alex Salmond joking that he is writing the Labour Party's budget.
A boisterous Salmond told an audience that when a Scottish Labour politician told Andrew Neil Jim Murphy will not be writing the Labour Party budget, he knew that already because he was the one "writing the Labour Party budget".
"I'll just check my top pocket," he added.
This footage will shock you: Alex Salmond laughs & boasts he’ll write Labour’s budget. Vote Conservative to stop it.https://t.co/A6DGJtM8OM
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) April 22, 2015
Cameron's tweet is the latest attempt to shift the focus of the campaign to what might happen north of the border and the ramifications it may have for the rest of the UK. The Tories are hoping the prospect of a Labour-SNP deal after the General Election will convince many voters, particularly Ukip supporters, to put David Cameron back in number 10.
The SNP who are riding high in the polls in Scotland have consistently argued they would push Labour to be bolder and more progressive. Last week, Nicola Sturgeon told Ed Miliband during a BBC debate that an arrangement between their two parties could "lock David Cameron out of Downing Street."
Labour have ruled out a coalition with the SNP and Labour have said no SNP MPs will serve as ministers in a future Labour government. Only one day after the SNP launched their manifesto the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) released a research note forecast a £9.7bn black hole in Scotland's finances by the year 2020 if it achieves fiscal autonomy.