Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has claimed the prime minister was “playing with fire” by talking up the chances of the SNP which has refused to rule out a second independence referendum.
He said David Cameron was engaging in a “cheap, crude, nasty and desperate” campaign to deprive Labour of seats at Westminster to boost his chances of staying in Downing Street.
Mr Murphy claimed yesterday that only social solidarity across the UK could defeat Scottish nationalism and English nationalism being peddled by the Tories south of the border.
His remarks were dismissed by Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson who said Labour, unlike her party, was refusing to rule out a post-election deal with the SNP to ensure Ed Miliband is the next prime minister.
Mr Murphy, who held a soapbox rally in the centre of Edinburgh, claimed the Scottish Conservative Party “no longer exists” as an independent campaigning organisation.
“David Cameron exists as the agent and the campaign manager for the SNP at the moment, because half of everything he says in this election isn’t about his own party,” he added.
“He is playing with fire and I am determined it will backfire.
“It is crude, cheap and nasty – it is desperate.
“It is clear that he will do anything to cling on to power, even talking up the chances of a party that refuses to rule out a second referendum.”
Mr Murphy said the Conservatives could not be beaten unless people in Scotland voted Labour.
He accused the SNP of pinching some of his party’s key policies on zero hours contracts, a mansion tax and the 50p tax rate, to further its agenda.
Mr Murphy said: “Imitation is the best form of flattery but it is superficial.
“The SNP has cut and pasted Labour’s manifesto for its own purposes – it is a cheap imitation and people will see through it.”
Mr Davidson said the prime minister’s presence at the launch of her party’s manifesto last week was evidence that his support was strong.
She claimed Labour politicians who fought against independence “must be ripping their hair out” over the fact that Mr Miliband won’t rule out a deal with the SNP.
Ms Davidson said: “We are the only party that says we are not going to be selling out over the SNP and put them in a position of power over a UK Government that they want to destroy.”