GORDON Brown has accused the Tories of "whipping up anti-Scottish feeling" and becoming the "party of English nationalism" in a crude bid to win votes, as he claimed that any form of post-election deal between Labour and the SNP would not happen.
The former Prime Minister, making his most high-profile intervention in the election campaign so far, said that David Cameron was attempting to present the election as a "referendum on whether people want a Labour government that is controlled in Scotland by the SNP."
Speaking in the Kirkcaldy constituency he represented before standing down as an MP last month, he added: "There is no deal, there is no coalition pact, there is never going to be an arrangement between the Labour Party and the SNP. How, after all, could you have an arrangement with a party that wants to break up the country you want to build up?
"So how do the Conservatives keep this issue going? What has happened is the Conservative Party has retreated to the most base tactic imaginable. Instead of defending the unity of the United Kingdom... they have retreated into becoming the party of English nationalism against Scottish nationalism.
"The purpose of this is to whip up anti-Scottish feeling in England to bolster their vote against UKIP in England, to make the SNP seem more important in Scotland."
The ex-Labour leader, who strolled around the stage in a style reminiscent of his late interventions during the referendum campaign, also attacked the SNP, singling out Alex Salmond for his claim, which the Former First Minister said was a joke, that he would write the Labour budget.
Mr Brown added: "There's no chance ever of Alex Salmond writing a Labour budget because he does not share our priorities on social policy. Why did he say it? because he wanted to harm the Labour Party. He was trying to persuade people in England that the SNP was such a threat and he didn't care if people in England voted Tory as opposed to Labour... They only succeed when there is an unsuccessful Tory government like today."
Mr Brown also announced plans to send a £5,000 emergency payment to 167 food banks in Scotland on May 8, should Labour win office.
Eilidh Whiteford, who is standing for reelection for the SNP in Banff and Buchan, said: "Gordon Brown isn't a candidate in this election, but the fact he would apparently rather see David Cameron back in Downing Street than work with the SNP will surprise nobody after his role working with the Tories during the referendum. The real question is whether Ed Miliband backs this position - if Labour let in another Tory Government in preference to working with the SNP to lock them out, the people in Scotland would never forgive them."
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