Nicola Sturgeon has vowed that the SNP would not follow in the footsteps of the Liberal Democrats and “sell out” any of its principals.
The first minister made the remarks yesterday when quizzed about what kind of role her party would play in a hung Westminster parliament.
Opinion polls suggest that the Conservatives and Labour will not win enough seats across the UK to be able to form a majority in the House of Commons on May 8.
This means that they would be forced to strike a deal with smaller parties, like the SNP, in order to get their business through.
In 2010 the Liberal Democrats, which won 57 seats, teamed up with the Conservatives, which had 306 MPs, to form a coalition.
A spokeswoman for the Lib Dems, led by Nick Clegg, claimed the party had “held back the worst excesses” of Tory cuts and brought stability to government during the worst recession in living memory.
But successive opinion polls suggest the MP and many of his colleagues could be out of a job next Thursday – a situation likely linked to a decision to renage on a promise not to charge university tuition fees.
Ms Sturgeon, in a radio interview yesterday, said: “After the votes are counted the hard reality for any leader in that situation is you cannot simply turn your backs on other parties because if you do that you cannot get your business through the parliament.
“I am not going to go into coalition with the Tories and sell out on all my principles.
“He (Nick Clegg) sold out on his principals so instead of trying to say to the Tories, ‘do you know what we won the 57 seats on a promise not to have an increase in tuition fees.
“But instead of sticking to his guns and trying to change the Tories, he sold out on his principles.”
Ms Sturgeon said there was a “world of difference” between the Lib Dems and her party which would use its influence to press for progressive and positive change across the UK.
The Lib Dem spokeswoman said the party’s “responsible and mature approach” to government resulted in 75% of it’s 2010 manifesto pledges being delivered.
“Nicola Sturgeon’s comments are a reminder that in each of our 11 held Scottish seats, voters face a choice between the SNP’s reckless borrowing plans and the stability provided by us in government,” she added.