SIR KEIR STARMER headed north of the border today in an attempt to “turn disagreement into co-operation” with Scotland’s SNP government as he sought to reset relations with devolved administrations.
In his first foray from London since his appointment as prime minister on Friday, Sir Keir headed to Edinburgh for talks with First Minister John Swinney.
Neither has been in post long — Mr Swinney returned to the SNP leadership just two weeks before the election was called — but the contrast in their election nights could not have been more stark.
Sir Keir’s Labour Party saw its Scottish representation climb from just two seats to 37, while Mr Swinney saw his party plummet from 47 to just nine, shattering his ambition to win a majority of seats — and with it his hopes of a mandate for a second referendum on separation.
Ahead of his meeting with Mr Swinney, the first of a series of meetings with devolved leaderships, the new Labour PM insisted that “respect” would be central to future dealings not only with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland administrations but metro mayors and city regions as he seeks to “push power and resource out of Whitehall.”
Sir Keir said: “People across the United Kingdom are bound by shared beliefs: fundamental values of respect, service and community, which define us as a great nation.
“That begins today with an immediate reset of my government’s approach to working with the first and deputy first ministers, because meaningful co-operation centred on respect will be key to delivering change across our United Kingdom.
“Together we can begin the work to rebuild our country with a resolute focus on serving working people once again.”
Turning to Scotland, where relations between the devolved government and the last Tory administration had become increasingly frosty over Westminster ministers’ decisions to veto a second constitutional referendum and Holyrood’s gender recognition reform legislation, Sir Keir pledged to “place Scotland back at the beating heart of everything we do.”
He said: “To the people of Scotland, my message is simple and clear: you are at the heart of how we unleash prosperity across the country. We will rebuild a strong Scotland at the forefront of our decade of national renewal.
“My offer to the Scottish government is the same. We can turn disagreement into co-operation and, through meaningful co-operation and a genuine seat at the table, deliver change for a generation.”
