THE Scottish Nationalists are demanding as much money as possible from the UK Government not to help the most needy across Britain but to bolster "Alex Salmond's pork barrel", Michael Gove, the Tory Chief Whip, has claimed.

In a speech, which set out the Conservative philosophy, including the claim that the Tories were committed to social justice, believed in equality of opportunity and were "the warriors for the dispossessed", the Scottish politician issued a stark warning against the prospect of a Labour-SNP alliance after the General Election.

Speaking at the London-based Legatum Institute, an international think-tank focused on promoting prosperity, to launch the Good Right initiative, Mr Gove said Labour's weakness in Scotland meant the prospects of forming a majority government after May 7 were "increasingly remote", raising the risk of Ed Miliband seeking an alliance with Nicola Sturgeon to gain power.

"If anything, the SNP is even less progressive than Labour," declared the Surrey MP. "Their commitment to much higher borrowing places even bigger debts on our children's shoulders and SNP education policy, as the best Labour voices have pointed out, has nothing to offer children trapped in failing schools but guarantees free higher education for the children of millionaires."

He added: "The campaign pitch of the Scottish Nationalists in this election is a demand for as much money as possible to be invested, not in the poorest, those most in need or the most vulnerable, wherever they live in these islands, but in Alex Salmond's pork barrel."

The term "pork barrel politics" originated in America and refers to spending intended to benefit the constituents of a politician in return for their political support.

Mr Gove's broadside follows that of Prime Minister David Cameron, who earlier this week branded Mr Miliband "weak and despicable" for not ruling out a deal with the SNP, saying he wanted to "crawl to power in Alex Salmond's pocket," a reference to the Tory Party poster showing the Labour leader in the ex-FM's jacket pocket.

While the party leadership has conspicuously failed to rule out a deal with the SNP, insisting it does not want or need one, senior party figures insist Mr Miliband will rule one out "at the right time and in the right place".

In his speech, Mr Gove declared how the Tory Party was a "force for social progress" and needed to assert its "progressive credentials".

"Only if we remind people of our commitment to social justice, demonstrate our belief in equality of opportunity and affirm that we are warriors for the dispossessed will we be able to win arguments and elections, and then be in a position genuinely to help the vulnerable and the voiceless.

"People need to know what's in our hearts before they are prepared to consider our arguments in their heads," explained the Chief Whip, born in Edinburgh and raised in Aberdeen.

Mr Gove explained that many on the Right and Left shared a commitment to government-provided welfare, helping the poorest and keeping the NHS free at the point of use.

But he stressed the fundamental difference lay in vision and application.

"We believe in the State as emancipator, providing the means by which individuals, families and the institutions of civil society can grow and flourish. We reject the idea that the State should erode individual independence, usurp the role of families, direct the efforts of wealth creators, conscript civil society and encourage dependence."

In response, the SNP's Eilidh Whiteford said: "The last people who anyone should take lessons on progressivism from are Michael Gove and a Tory Government, that is systematically dismantling the welfare state and driving people into poverty. Westminster's welfare cuts are pushing up to 100,000 more children in Scotland into poverty; what exactly does Michael Gove think is progressive about that?"

The Nationalist spokesman on work and pensions claimed the Tories had been a disaster for hard-working people and the poorest in society and their promise of a further £70bn of austerity would only make matters worse.