Sturgeon backs Cameron? Reports suggest SNP leader privately admits she wants Tory victory

Tomorrow’s Telegraph carries an explosive front page story, claiming that SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has privately admitted she would prefer David Cameron to remain in Downing Street after May’s election.

The paper has got hold of an official UK Government document, written by a senior civil servant, that gives an account of a meeting between Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, and Sylvie Bermann, the French Ambassador to the UK. The document states that Sturgeon revealed she did not want a coalition with Labour and that she hoped David Cameron would be able to serve a second term:

“The Ambassador….had a truncated meeting with the FM [Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister] (FM running late after a busy Thursday…). Discussion appears to have focused mainly on the political situation, with the FM stating that she wouldn’t want a formal coalition with Labour; that the SNP would almost certainly have a large number of seats… that she’d rather see David Cameron remain as PM (and didn’t see Ed Miliband as PM material).”

This could have huge repercussions on the outcome of the election. The SNP currently have a huge poll lead over Labour in Scotland , and most of their new supporters backed Labour in 2010. Much of the Nationalists’ election campaign is based on framing Labour as too similar to the Conservatives, which is what makes this story so potentially toxic for Sturgeon.

In Scottish Labour circles there is a widely held belief that both the SNP and Tory leaderships would like to see the other perform well in May. The Conservatives hope that the prospect of a Labour/SNP deal will scare English voters into backing Cameron, while an increase in SNP seats will be at the expense of Labour – threatening the legitimacy of a Miliband claim to Number 10. A Tory victory, meanwhile, could breathe new life into the Scottish independence movement, as many Scottish voters could be unhappy to be stuck with a government they did not vote for.

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has described the scoop as a “devastating revelation”. He said:

“This is a devastating revelation that exposes the uncomfortable truth behind the SNP’s General Election campaign.

“For months Nicola Sturgeon has been telling Scots she wants rid of David Cameron yet behind closed doors with foreign governments she admits she wants a Tory Government.

“It’s déjà vu all over again – the SNP say one thing in public but another private.”

Many in the Scottish Labour Party have never forgiven the SNP for their role in bringing down the Callaghan Government in 1979: they voted with the Tories in a vote of no confidence in the Labour Government. The motion carried by one vote, Thatcher won the ensuing election, and the Conservatives remained in power for 18 years.

Nicola Sturgeon has already denied the story, describing it as “100% untrue” on Twitter. The BBC have quoted an SNP source who says the Civil Service minutes of the meeting carry no mention of conversation of preference for next PM. It seems someone here is not telling the whole truth.