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A leading Labour MP has said a potential coalition deal between his party and the Lib Dems would not include the Scottish National Party.Douglas Alexander said he could not envisage circumstances in which Labour would enter an agreement with the SNP.
Mr Alexander, one of Gordon Brown's closest allies, said the parties had "fundamental" differences.
Meanwhile, the SNP has repeated its call for a rainbow alliance of all the "progressive" parties at Westminster.
This sort of coalition would involve the SNP, the Welsh Nationalists, some MPs from Northern Ireland and the sole Green MP, as well as Labour and the Lib Dems.
'Progressive majority'
The SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson insisted such an agreement would have legitimacy in the many parts of the UK which did not vote for a Conservative government.
He said: "We believe there is a progressive majority in the UK.
"The Labour Party and the Lib Dems should work together with parties of government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
"Otherwise they are letting the Tories in. We don't want that in Scotland."
Lib Dem Simon Hughes echoed the comments of Mr Alexander by saying a two party coalition with Labour would be possible.
He said the Nationalists in Scotland and Wales may be called on to support "crucial" votes.
Mr Robertson, the SNP MP for Moray, responded by saying it was too soon to "rule in or rule out" any particular way of working.
The Conservatives got the most seats at Thursday's general election but not enough for an overall majority at Westminster.
The Tories have been negotiating with the Lib Dems over a coalition deal.
The Lib Dems have also been talking to Labour about the possibility of forming a government.
Mr Alexander, the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP, said it was right for Labour to engage in formal negotiations with the Lib Dems to see if common ground could be established.
He said no party had a working majority.
"It is perfectly reasonable, indeed it is constitutional, that these discussions are now taking place because we need to get to a position where somebody is able to command a majority in the House of Commons."
Mr Alexander said: "I can assure you I have had no contact with the SNP, nor has the chancellor, the Scottish secretary or the prime minister because there are fundamental differences between the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party.
"Personally, I can't envisage circumstances in which we would enter into agreement with the Scottish National Party."
Fellow Scottish Labour MP Tom Harris said his party should not be "scrabbling around" desperately trying to get a coalition deal with the Lib Dems.
'Scrabbling around'
The MP for Glasgow South told BBC Radio Scotland such a deal would not bring a stable government.
Mr Harris said: "We are in this position because we lost the election.
"I am worried about the long-term future of the Labour Party if we are seen to scrabbling around in a very ungracious way desperately trying to hold on to power in any and all circumstances."
Mr Harris added: "It seems to me we are not talking about a rainbow coalition. We are talking about Labour plus the Liberal Democrats, supported whenever the Nationalists feel like it on crucial issues.
"That does not equate at all to a stable long-term government arrangement."
Former Tory Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind said Labour attempts to form "a coalition of the defeated" was a "negation of democracy".
He said a government "cobbled together" between Labour and the Lib Dems would be "illegitimate".
Mr Rifkind, the MP for Kensington, said the Tories got two million more votes than Labour.
He said: "The idea that the two parties that suffered most in this election, that were rejected by the electorate, should put together an illegitimate government - this is Robert Mugabe-style politics.
"That's exactly what Mugabe did. He lost the election and scrabbled to hang on to power in the most illegitimate way."
Meanwhile, former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen conceded a deal with the Tories would be "difficult" for Lib Dems in parts of the UK.
Mr Stephen told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "Many of us got into politics during the Conservative years in government, the Thatcher years, and we have deep-seated concerns about Conservative policies."
He added: "It's difficult for us. There's probably about a third of the party that opposes working with the Conservatives, about a third of the party that opposes working with Labour and the final third doesn't want to work with either of them."
Of the talks with Labour he said: "If we know what the Labour Party is offering, that will allow us to fast-track the alternatives if negotiations with the Conservatives are not successful.
"It surely would be quite wrong to go back to square one if the negotiations with the Conservatives broke down."This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Mr Alexander, one of Gordon Brown's closest allies, said the parties had "fundamental" differences.
Meanwhile, the SNP has repeated its call for a rainbow alliance of all the "progressive" parties at Westminster.
This sort of coalition would involve the SNP, the Welsh Nationalists, some MPs from Northern Ireland and the sole Green MP, as well as Labour and the Lib Dems.
'Progressive majority'
The SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson insisted such an agreement would have legitimacy in the many parts of the UK which did not vote for a Conservative government.
He said: "We believe there is a progressive majority in the UK.
"The Labour Party and the Lib Dems should work together with parties of government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
"Otherwise they are letting the Tories in. We don't want that in Scotland."
Lib Dem Simon Hughes echoed the comments of Mr Alexander by saying a two party coalition with Labour would be possible.
He said the Nationalists in Scotland and Wales may be called on to support "crucial" votes.
Mr Robertson, the SNP MP for Moray, responded by saying it was too soon to "rule in or rule out" any particular way of working.
The Conservatives got the most seats at Thursday's general election but not enough for an overall majority at Westminster.
The Tories have been negotiating with the Lib Dems over a coalition deal.
The Lib Dems have also been talking to Labour about the possibility of forming a government.
Mr Alexander, the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP, said it was right for Labour to engage in formal negotiations with the Lib Dems to see if common ground could be established.
He said no party had a working majority.
"It is perfectly reasonable, indeed it is constitutional, that these discussions are now taking place because we need to get to a position where somebody is able to command a majority in the House of Commons."
Mr Alexander said: "I can assure you I have had no contact with the SNP, nor has the chancellor, the Scottish secretary or the prime minister because there are fundamental differences between the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party.
"Personally, I can't envisage circumstances in which we would enter into agreement with the Scottish National Party."
Fellow Scottish Labour MP Tom Harris said his party should not be "scrabbling around" desperately trying to get a coalition deal with the Lib Dems.
'Scrabbling around'
The MP for Glasgow South told BBC Radio Scotland such a deal would not bring a stable government.
Mr Harris said: "We are in this position because we lost the election.
"I am worried about the long-term future of the Labour Party if we are seen to scrabbling around in a very ungracious way desperately trying to hold on to power in any and all circumstances."
Mr Harris added: "It seems to me we are not talking about a rainbow coalition. We are talking about Labour plus the Liberal Democrats, supported whenever the Nationalists feel like it on crucial issues.
"That does not equate at all to a stable long-term government arrangement."
Former Tory Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind said Labour attempts to form "a coalition of the defeated" was a "negation of democracy".
He said a government "cobbled together" between Labour and the Lib Dems would be "illegitimate".
Mr Rifkind, the MP for Kensington, said the Tories got two million more votes than Labour.
He said: "The idea that the two parties that suffered most in this election, that were rejected by the electorate, should put together an illegitimate government - this is Robert Mugabe-style politics.
"That's exactly what Mugabe did. He lost the election and scrabbled to hang on to power in the most illegitimate way."
Meanwhile, former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen conceded a deal with the Tories would be "difficult" for Lib Dems in parts of the UK.
Mr Stephen told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "Many of us got into politics during the Conservative years in government, the Thatcher years, and we have deep-seated concerns about Conservative policies."
He added: "It's difficult for us. There's probably about a third of the party that opposes working with the Conservatives, about a third of the party that opposes working with Labour and the final third doesn't want to work with either of them."
Of the talks with Labour he said: "If we know what the Labour Party is offering, that will allow us to fast-track the alternatives if negotiations with the Conservatives are not successful.
"It surely would be quite wrong to go back to square one if the negotiations with the Conservatives broke down."This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.