COALITIONS, and who exactly will run the country from May 8, were back on the agenda as the Scottish National Party (SNP) launched its manifesto.

The SNP will only be standing in Scotland, but the fact that polls are pointing to a hung Parliament led to a fresh frenzy of speculation over which parties will support each other after the general election on May 7.

The Press Association’s latest poll of polls suggests that no party will claim the 326 seats needed to form a majority in the House of Commons.

The association’s polling has predicted that the Conservatives would have a one-seat lead over Labour, with the Tories winning 274 MPs and Labour 273.

Some polls have suggested that Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP could win 56 of 59 seats north of the border – and the Conservatives say that would mean them propping up a minority Government led by Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Mr Miliband has previously ruled out a formal coalition with the SNP – but Labour's Angela Eagle, shadow leader of the House of Commons, has said that her party would speak to any other party represented in the Commons to “try and build a majority” for its Queen’s Speech, should it be the largest party.

Referring to Ms Sturgeon yesterday, the party’s shadow health secretary, Andy Burnham, said: “It suits her interests and the Tories’ to talk up all these potential deals. I think it’s a bit disrespectful and will turn the public off from this election campaign.”

The leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, has accused Labour of doing a “back-room deal” with the SNP.

Yesterday Ms Sturgeon insisted that the party would not be a disruptive force in the House of Commons, stating that SNP MPs can build alliances with anti-Tory MPs in Westminster on many issues, such as boosting spending for the NHS in the rest of the UK.

She pledged to “end austerity” and oppose the renewal of the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent system if her party won power, and while leaving the door open to a deal with Mr Miliband she said the party would “not do any deals which would put the Tories into power”.

Other speculation over possible alliances has seen a ‘Blukip’ deal between the Tories and UKIP suggested, while the Liberal Democrats could well end up working with either Labour or the Conservatives.