Jim Murphy: Cameron is desperate for Sturgeon to do well in Scotland

Speaking about an inquiry that is under way into a leaked Nicola Sturgeon civil service memo, Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy tells Channel 4 News: “It needs to get to the bottom of what Nicola Sturgeon has said or what she didn’t say, and her praise for David Cameron.”

Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood has ordered an inquiry into how the note – which claims that Ms Sturgeon told French ambassador Sylvie Bermann that she would prefer to see Conservatives remain in power after the 7 May poll – got into the public domain.

Asked about the memo, Mr Murphy added: “Every working class man, woman in Scotland knows the truth, that come this election, it’s either David Cameron or Ed Miliband that’s prime minister, and David Cameron is desperate for Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP to do well in Scotland.”

On Monday, Ms Sturgeon 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,” she said.

Ms Sturgeon called for answers from the probe as soon as possible and insisted the allegation contained within the memo has been “completely answered”.