Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander told business leaders yesterday that only the moderate voice of the Lib Dems could prevent the “disaster” of a Tory-Ukip or Labour-SNP coalition.
During a visit to Aberdeen he said either of the two combinations would “jam the brakes on the economic recovery”.
Speaking at a breakfast meeting of the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, Mr Alexander, who is seeking re-election in the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey seat, claimed the markets were already reacting badly to the prospect of a coalition government to the right or left of the current administration.
He said: “Desperate Dave and Muddled Miliband will not admit it, but the only way either of them will become prime minister is by working with other parties.
“The markets are showing their concern. I believe they are right to do so.
“An unstable government, unable to take serious decisions, pulled sharply to left or right, with Alex Salmond or Nigel Farage, would cost us all dear. It would jam the brakes on the economic recovery.
“That would be an economic disaster for Britain, and an insult to the massive effort and the many sacrifices made by millions of people and businesses who are powering our recovery.”
Speaking to the Press and Journal after the event Mr Alexander insisted he would beat the SNP to keep hold of his Highland seat in the Commons.
He said: “Most of the electoral contests across the north and north-east are between Liberal Democrats and Scottish Nationalists.
“Every day that goes by I’m more confident I’ll be re-elected because people see that the Nationalists will use all they have to break up the UK.”
Bert Macintosh, managing director of Echt firm Macintosh plant hire, attended the event.
He said: “I think this has been a very fair government and I can’t see why we should change it.”