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ED MILIBAND has signalled he does not want a coalition deal with the SNP after the general election.

But when pressed, he refused to totally rule it out on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show yesterday.

Polls show the SNP could snatch dozens of seats from Labour in May, resulting in a hung parliament.

Mililband said: “I’m not about deals and coalitions. I’ve got an old fashioned view on this. A Labour majority government is what this country needs.”

“I’m about one objective. I’m putting forward a manifesto before the British people and I’m going to say to the British people: This is a plan to put working people first, not a plan for the privileged few for this government. I want a majority Labour government in order to put that into practice."

Labour strategists want to avoid all talk of a coalition that could undermine party support.

But the SNP seized on the comments as proof that a deal had not been ruled out.

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson MP said: “Ed Miliband refused to rule out working with the SNP following the General Election, leaving the door open to the benefits of the SNP holding the balance of power in a hung Westminster parliament with a minority Labour government.”

Robertson added: “Left to their own devices, Labour would continue with austerity. With a strong group of SNP MPs holding the balance of power at Westminster, we can ensure that Scotland’s voice is heard and use our influence positively to end austerity economics, free Scotland of Trident nuclear weapons and secure the powers we need to build a fairer, more prosperous country.”