text: Nicola Sturgeon has said she would work with Ed Miliband's left-wing backbenchers to ensure a Labour minority government did not pursue austerity. The SNP leader also pledged to form alliances with minor parties such as the Greens and Plaid Cymru to ensure Mr Miliband did not impose any more cuts. 'I don’t think the country can afford more austerity,' she told ITV's The Agenda. 'I would be seeking to build alliances with parties like Plaid Cymru and the Greens and backbenchers. I could never ever support a Tory government.' Nicola Sturgeon has said she would work with Ed Miliband's left-wing backbenchers to ensure a Labour minority government did not pursue austerity . Miss Sturgeon said she would make a decision on an issue-by-issue basis, forcing a Labour minority government to seek SNP support for every single bill. The comments came after a Scottish poll delivered another blow to Mr Miliband’s hopes of achieving an overall majority. The shock survey found that 52 per cent of voters north of the border supported Nicola Sturgeon’s nationalists – more than double Labour’s support at just 24 per cent. It means Mr Miliband could not hope to move into Number 10 without the SNP’s say-so. Asked if never she could never vote down a Labour government, Miss Sturgeonresponded: 'Minority government is all about building alliances on an issue by issue basis. ‘It’s about where can I find support across this parliament for the position I want to build upon.' Ms Sturgeon also pledged to form alliances with minor parties such as the Greens and Plaid Cymru . She confirmed she would like to see some sort of pact between Labour and the SNP; although she would not want a Coalition. ‘Minority government can be stable and effective and successful, and we know how can contribute to making a minority government work,’ she said. 'We have a vested interest as long as we are part of the Westminster system to make sure it works as well as possible. 'What I am trying to say is look, here is a hand of friendship and not be secretive about my support for independence.' Miss Sturgeon insisted a vote for the SNP did not mean a vote for a second referendum. She said: 'As the leader of the SNP I am saying very clearly to people that voting SNP in this election is not voting for another independence referendum. 'For there to be another ref people would have to vote for a party that had that as a proposal in a manifesto in a Scottish parliament election. 'For the SNP to put it into another manifesto there has to be a change of circumstances from last year.' The TNS poll, which showed the Liberal Democrats on 6 per cent and 13 per cent siding with the Tories, would see Labour losing dozens of seats in Scotland. This would make it almost impossible for him to get an overall majority in Westminster; increasing the chances of him having to reach a deal with the SNP to win power. The poll’s 28-point lead is nearly double last month’s figure, when the SNP and Labour scored 46 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. The Scottish nationalists’ surge in the polls comes amid signs of a split between Labour leadership in London and Jim Murphy, the Labour leader in Scotland. Mr Murphy has suggested that the party would not need to make ‘further cuts to achieve our spending rules’ in the next parliament. First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon receives flowers while on the General Election campaign trail at New Lanark World Heritage Site, Lanarkshire . The Scottish First Minister said the SNP would never form an alliance with the Conservative Party but could support Labour . But yesterday Chuka Umunna, Labour’s business spokesman, slapped him down; telling the BBC’s Daily Politics programme that cuts would have to be made throughout the life of the new parliament. ‘The leader of the Scottish Labour Party will not be in charge of the UK budget,’ she said. ‘The leader of our country, our next prime minister, Ed Miliband, will be in charge of the UK budget. And he was absolutely clear: there will be the need for further consolidation and cuts throughout the rest of the parliament.’ And, speaking to the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said: ‘I can't say to Scotland that you're going to be exempt from spending cuts in the unprotected areas but they're sensible.’ Labour Party leader Ed Miliband speaks at train engineering company in Loughborough today, with just over three weeks until polling day . Mr Miliband has insisted that he is not concerned about the polls in Scotland and claimed people were still making up their minds . When asked at his manifesto launch in Manchester the state of the polls in Scotland, Mr Miliband said: ‘There is a really important argument now about what the SNP commitments are. ‘Let’s see what happens on May 7 in relation to Scotland, because I think there are many, many people still making up their minds.’ Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy said: ‘The choice at this election couldn't be clearer - investment in the future of young Scots and an end to austerity with Scottish Labour, or losing £1,400 per person for our schools and hospitals with Nicola Sturgeon's plans for full fiscal autonomy.’
target: The SNP leader also pledged to form alliances with minor parties .
  She said the SNP could work with Labour MPs without a formal pact .
  Comes after a poll showed the SNP surging to a 28 point lead over Labour .
  Miliband has ruled out a coalition with the SNP but not an informal deal .