John Swinney has said a government he leads will “operate on a basis of cross-party co-operation” – but not with Reform.
The First Minister said he would be seeking talks with the leaders of all political parties in Holyrood in a bid to foster better relations, but Malcolm Offord’s fledgling party would be snubbed.
Speaking as he wrote to the leaders of the four other parties in Holyrood, Mr Swinney said: “The SNP Government has been emphatically re-elected, but it is right that we now look to find common ground.
“I am, today, urging every party other than Reform UK to work openly and constructively with us in the national interest – and I give my assurance that my Government will operate on a basis of cross-party co-operation.
Reform UK Scotland leader Malcolm Offord was not invited to the talks (Steve Welsh/PA)
PA Wire
“But I have been very clear – we will have absolutely nothing to do with Reform UK.
“They have nothing to offer the people of Scotland, I fundamentally disagree with their values and many of those who have been elected to represent them have expressed reprehensible views.
“I said during the election campaign that we would lock them out of influence in the Scottish Parliament and that is exactly what I will do.
“Our focus will be delivering the manifesto on which we were so emphatically elected, and I look forward to working co-operatively with other parties on these plans.”
Mr Swinney remains the First Minister, but faces a vote in Holyrood next week to officially re-elect him to the post, though he is not expected to face a great deal of difficulty in securing the required votes.
Speaking to the BBC, Reform UK Scotland’s deputy leader Thomas Kerr accused the First Minister of “political posturing”.
“We’ve not even stepped foot in the chamber yet,” he said.
“These are politicians who are doing political posturing before we’ve even stepped foot in the chambers of the Holyrood Parliament.
“So, I think it’s ridiculous for them, it’s anti democratic, we’ve seen this last year when John Swinney held his anti-democratic summit, it backfired on him then… this will backfire on him.”
The invitation to the other party leaders comes after the First Minister was greeted at the Scottish Government’s base at St Andrews House in Edinburgh by the country’s top civil servant, Permanent Secretary Joe Griffin.
More than 100 civil servants applauded in the lobby of the building as the First Minister arrived on Monday morning.
