Conservative poster shows SNP head Nicola Sturgeon playing puppet-master to Ed Miliband
The Conservative Party has capitalised upon the strong performances of SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon during the televised leaders’ debates portraying her as Labour head Ed Miliband’s puppet master.
The poster was sparked by Sturgeon’s plea with during the five-way BBC leader debate earlier this week to form an alliance to quell Tory policies on a case-by-case basis, an offer Miliband was unwilling to accept until the results of the election became clear.
Ed Miliband cannot be PM without the SNP, and it would mean chaos for Britain. Don't let it happen. #VoteConservative pic.twitter.com/p7LhVxdp2v
— Conservatives (@Conservatives) April 19, 2015
On the poster, Grant Shapps, Conservative Party chairman, said: “Labour are collapsing in Scotland.
“This means the only way that Ed Miliband might crawl through the gates of No 10 now is if he’s carried there by the SNP.
“Nicola Sturgeon would pull the strings and demand weaker defences, more spending and unaffordable welfare handouts.”
The SNP's demands to prop up a weak Ed Miliband. #Marr #GE2015 pic.twitter.com/9baj47kBYC
— Conservatives (@Conservatives) April 19, 2015
The poster was issued in response to the SNP’s ‘Lock the Tories’ out campaign as Sturgeon pledged an alliance with Ed Miliband’s Labour.
Clearly @David_Cameron is worried about being locked out of Downing Street by @theSNP #marrshow #VoteSNP #SNP #GE15 pic.twitter.com/kBdHiR6hLf
— Angus Robertson (@ARobertsonSNP) April 19, 2015
On Sunday (19 April), the general thrust of the Conservative's social media strategy was that Ed Miliband would buckle to Scottish nationalists.
Ed Miliband can't become PM without the support of the SNP. You'll pay for SNP demands of a weak PM. #Marr #GE2015 pic.twitter.com/RUscPSOlKF
— Conservatives (@Conservatives) April 19, 2015
The SNP's demands to prop up a weak Ed Miliband. #Marr #GE2015 pic.twitter.com/9baj47kBYC
— Conservatives (@Conservatives) April 19, 2015
Before Sturgeon’s rise onto the UK-stage as a result of the TV debates, the Conservatives were instead producing posters showing Miliband in the pocket of former SNP leader Alex Salmond – who has confirmed he will be standing as an MP in the 2015 general election.