Miliband ‘too weak’ to stand up to Sturgeon and Salmond

A deal between Labour and the SNP after the General Election would herald the break-up of the United Kingdom, according to Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson.

Speaking exclusively to Holyrood, Davidson said Ed Miliband is not a strong enough leader to withstand the compromises the SNP would demand.

She added: “My fear is Ed Miliband is too weak a leader to stand up to Nicola Sturgeon or Alex Salmond and the concessions the SNP would wring from him.

“I genuinely worry that that sort of deal would herald the break-up of the United Kingdom.

Ed Miliband is too weak a leader to stand up to Nicola Sturgeon or Alex Salmond

“What is very clear is Ed Miliband has been given opportunity after opportunity to say that he won’t do a deal with the SNP. Nicola, Stuart Hosie and other senior members of the SNP team have also been given opportunities to say they won’t do a deal with Labour.

“They haven’t taken those and they’re halfway down the aisle already in terms of a stitch-up after the election.”

Davidson said while campaigning she has spoken to a number of people who are “so concerned” that despite claims the referendum was a once in a generation event, the SNP is continuing to push for independence.

She added: “There are people who voted No out of a sincere conviction that they wanted Scotland to flourish within the UK and they didn’t want Britain to be broken up, they are now genuinely worried they will see a break-up by the back door in contravention of the democratic will of the Scottish people.

“That’s a serious concern.”

Read the full interview with Ruth Davidson in Holyrood magazine, out now.

And read Liam Kirkaldy on why Labour and the SNP should stop attacking each other for working with Tories