Election 2015: Labour 'arrogant' to assume Plaid support

Owen Smith (second left) and Leanne Wood (second right) clashed over deals in Friday's TV debate

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has accused Labour of being "arrogant" to assume her party would help put them in power after the election on Thursday.

She told BBC Radio 4 that Plaid would reject a Labour budget if it meant "more cuts on the backs of the poor".

Neither Labour nor the Tories had done enough to "win the trust and a mandate from people to govern", she added.

But Labour's Owen Smith said it would be "unimaginable" for Plaid to let the Tories in "by the back door".

As the campaign enters its final days, Labour and Plaid Cymru have engaged in a war of words over whether they would do some sort of deal to make Ed Miliband prime minister.

'Taken for granted'

Speaking on the Today programme on Monday, Ms Wood said: "If Labour wants our support to run a government more effectively, then they need to take on board some of the things we're saying.

"It's arrogant for them to just assume that they can take our votes without giving anything back in return.

"In the event of a hung parliament, people are saying that neither of the two main parties have done enough to win the trust and a mandate from people to govern, and that means the smaller parties will have a say. That's democracy.

"Neither of us (Plaid Cymru and the SNP) would do anything to prop up a Conservative government. But neither would we prop up a Labour government intent on pursuing Tory policies.

"Our votes can't be taken for granted."

'Utterly unforgiveable'

Labour's Shadow Welsh Secretary Owen Smith responded by telling BBC Wales: "The only time the Welsh budget has been cut has been over the last five years under the Conservatives.

"That's why it would be utterly unforgiveable for Plaid Cymru, ostensibly a party for Wales, to contemplate letting the Tories in by the back door by voting down a Labour budget.

"It's just unimaginable that they would even contemplate that."