Salmond proposes alliance with Labour

Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said today that there was an alternative to a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government.

The Scottish First Minister said there was “an alternative and more progressive option available”.

Mr Salmond proposes an alliance involving the SNP, Labour and Plaid Cymru.

He told Sky News: “The assumption that the only option is a Tory-Liberal pact is not correct.

“There is an alternative and more progressive option available which can provide a parliamentary majority if politicians have the will to seize it.”

However, his suggestion was dismissed by Labour today.

Mr Salmond has long favoured a hung or “balanced” Parliament and leads a minority government at Holyrood, the home of the Scottish Parliament.

The SNP general election campaign focused on “local and national champions” whose candidates would fight public service cuts made by the “London parties”.

However, the nationalists failed in their bid to increase their share of Westminster seats.

They set out to win 20 seats but made no gains on the six they already had.

The First Minister stepped down as MP for Banff and Buchan but his seat was retained by the SNP.