Sturgeon hits back over leaked 'PM preference' memo row

Nicola Sturgeon has hit back at Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael over the leaked memo row, saying he should "question his whole approach to politics" if he thinks dirty tricks are a normal part of election campaigns.

"I take a very different view. I think elections should be a battle of positive ideas and that's how I'll continue to campaign," the SNP leader said.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood has ordered an inquiry into how the note - which claims Sturgeon told French ambassador Sylvie Bermann that she would prefer to see Conservatives remain in power after the election - got into the public domain.

Sturgeon insists the allegation has been "completely answered" and has called for the investigation to provide answers as soon as possible.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood has ordered an inquiry into an alleged leaked PM 'preference' memo.

It follows reports that a civil service account of Nicola Sturgeon's private meeting with the French ambassador was obtained by The Telegraph newspaper.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage reacted to the allegations that the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon expressed a preference to see David Cameron as prime minister after the general election over Ed Miliband, by claiming the "SNP want to break up Britain".

Speaking on the campaign trail Farage said: "The SNP want to break up Britain. The way they see it, if the Tories are strong - given the level of toxification of the Tory brand in Scotland - that will help them. I guess that's what it's about."

A Labour spokesperson has said today that the SNP and the Tories are "locked in an unholy alliance" and the public should not believe stories about a Labour-SNP coalition.

David Cameron has told Conservative supporters today that SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon's alleged comments that Mr Miliband was not "prime minister material" was nothing new.

Speaking in the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency the Prime Minister said he had made the same comments four years ago:

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has said she is calling for an enquiry into a leaked memo that alleged she expressed a preference to see David Cameron as prime minister after the general election over Ed Miliband.

The Daily Telegraph reported that during a meeting with the French Ambassador to the UK in February she allegedly commented that Mr Miliband was not "prime minister material".

"This story is 100% untrue. I've said that, the French ambassador who was the other person who was in the conversation has said that. That really should be an end to the matter.

"In my view the biggest question is.....who wrote this memo, since the Foreign Office now appear to be denying all knowledge of it, how did it come to contain such an inaccuracy? and how did it get into the hands of the Tory supporting Daily Telegraph? I want an enquiry into this."

The Culture Secretary Sajid Javid has given his reaction to claims SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon allegedly expressed a preference for David Cameron as prime minister over Labour leader Ed Miliband during a meeting with a French diplomat.

"One thing that she's right about is that Ed Miliband isn't up to being leader of our country, so she's spot on about that.

"As she said herself the only way Ed Miliband could even dream of walking into 10 Downing Street is if he's propped up by the SNP.

Scotland's First Minister has said the claims in the Daily Telegraph are "categorically, 100% untrue".

Labour leader Ed Miliband has said that claims SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said she would prefer David Cameron as prime minister over himself are "damning revelations".

"What is shows is that while in public the SNP are saying they don't want to see a Conservative government, in private they're actually saying they do want a Conservative government.

"It shows that the answer at this general election is that if you want the Conservatives out the only answer is to vote Labour."