ED Balls has apparently put a post-general election deal between Labour and the SNP back on the table, just weeks after he ruled a coalition out.

Last month, when the shadow chancellor was asked if an agreement with the Nationalists was a possibility if they take a large number of seats from his party, he replied: "No. And I don't think anybody is suggesting any suggestion of a deal with the SNP at all."

However, despite being repeatedly pressed over whether his party would be willing to strike an agreement with the SNP if, as some polls predict, they will hold the balance of power post-May, he did not take the opportunity to dismiss the possibility.

Nicola Sturgeon has suggested the SNP could prop up a Labour administration on a confidence and supply basis.

Flanked by Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy at a meeting with journalists in Edinburgh, he instead insisted the general election presented voters with a straight choice between the "continued austerity" of the Conservatives' plan or Labour's economic strategy.

Mr Balls said: The danger of voting SNP is that there will be another David Cameron and George Osborne in Downing Street again. The only way to fix our economy is vote for Labour's plan, because unlike the SNP we can actually implement these changes in government. If you don't vote Labour, you'll get the Tories back."

He said he understood the SNP had already ruled out a coalition with Labour, adding: "It is not part of our plan. It is not what we want." Speaking about Ms Sturgeon's plans to lobby for an increase in public spending at Westminster, Mr Balls said: "The SNP plans are not the issue - they are not going to implement any plan. The issue is, is it going to be a Labour plan or a Tory plan."