Starmer rules out SNP deal to counter Tory accusations of 'coalition of chaos'

Keir Starmer will vow Labour will never deal with the Scottish National party and make it explicit his party would go into minority government rather than enter talks with nationalists, in a new effort to counter Conservative attacks on a "coalition of chaos".

- Jessica Elgot and Severin Carrell

The Labour leader is expected to ramp up his pledge that the party would give no quarter to the SNP and would not grant an independence which will form pa of his summer campaign.

That position would in effect dare the SNP to vote down a Labour Queen's speech and bear responsibility for bringing down a Labour prime minister and enabling another Tory administration.

Starmer is likely to offer a procedural guarantee against any deal, including a motion to the party's conference. That commitment would demonstrate Labour members were onboard with the strategy, sources said.

Senior figures around Starmer have been urging him to make the case in stronger terms to voters, especially those in England. "We must be louder making this argument," one strategist said.

The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, will give his own speech to the Fabian Society on Monday taking the same hard line.