Andy Burnham will be last UK Prime Minister, says John Swinney
The First Minister said the PM would be the last in the job because people in Scotland would vote to leave the union if there is a second referendum.
Andy Burnham will be the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Minister John Swinney has claimed.
Mr Swinney said the PM would be the last in the job because people in Scotland would vote to leave the union if there is a second referendum.
He also said he was “crystal clear” that the referendum should be held by 2031.
Mr Swinney was speaking in Cardiff after he and the leaders of Northern Ireland and Wales signed a joint agreement aimed at putting pressure on Downing St over independence referendums.
Mr Swinney, along with Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth and Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill, signed the memorandum of understanding on Monday morning.
The SNP leader said: “Andy Burnham fundamentally, if you follow the logic of all of his politics, believes that issues are best resolved as close to people as they possibly can be.
“It's been the central point of what he has said as prime minister since his appointment in July.
“If you follow the logic of all of that, it leads you to the logic of recognising the right of the people of Scotland, in my case, to decide their own future.
“The Prime Minister, in what he said to the House of Commons on Wednesday, essentially simply set out that point of view.
“It wasn't in in terms of his political outlook particularly a revelation. It is what he has represented on countless occasions in his political history.
“The difference now, of course, is that he's the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
“If there is to be consistency in his thinking, the point that he made to the House of Commons on Wednesday is, for me, the absolutely crucial point, which is why I think he will be the last prime minister of the United Kingdom because the people of Scotland, if given the choice of independence in a referendum, will take that choice.
“Because all of the information that we see in front of us about the trends in opinion polling indicate that's the preference of the people of Scotland.”
Mr Burnham told the Commons last week that a vote on Scottish independence could be held if there was a “clear consensus” north of the border for the vote, but a letter later sent to Mr Swinney said a referendum remained “off limits”.
The First Minister said he was “crystal clear” that there should be a referendum during the current Holyrood term, which ends in 2031.
“There is a very clear recognition there can be a mechanism to allow that to happen,” he said of Mr Burnham’s comments.
“There is a particular mechanism in the Good Friday Agreement. I believe that we should have an orderly approach to enabling us to decide on our future.”
The SNP leader said the Prime Minister should keep his word, adding: “When you say things to the House of Commons when you’re the prime minister, you should stick to them. That’s vital. That’s the whole purpose of parliamentary accountability.
“When I speak to the Scottish Parliament, I stick to what I see in the Scottish Parliament, and I look forward to the Prime Minister doing exactly the same thing as he did on Wednesday.”
Mr Swinney and Welsh first minister Mr ap Iorweth also announced a “new era” of co-operation between their governments.
They vowed to make the case for “greater fairness” and power over the “constitutional futures” of their countries together.
The pair signed the Cardiff Agreement at the Welsh Government offices in Cathays Park following the press conference – in what the Scottish First Minister described as “an important moment in the history of devolution”.
The agreement sets out areas of planned co-operation, including tackling child poverty, addressing cost of living pressures and international engagement.
The Conservatives described the “separatist summit” as a “blatant distraction to the real issues facing Scotland”.
Shadow Scottish secretary Harriet Cross said: “Andy Burnham’s naive and incorrect comments at PMQs last week have been jumped on by nationalist leaders across the UK and given them fresh ammunition to plot the break-up of the United Kingdom.
“John Swinney happily sitting shoulder to shoulder with the leader of Sinn Féin shows just how far he is prepared to go in pursuit of his lifelong dream of independence. It is a sight that will anger many Scots who remember the Troubles.
“Labour have shown they are too weak to stand up to the SNP’s demands. The Union will only be truly safe when Kemi Badenoch is in Number 10 and the Conservative and Unionist Party are back in power.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister is committed to delivering change across all four nations of the United Kingdom and believes strongly in the Union.
“The United Kingdom is at its best when people come together around our shared values and problem-solving rather than division.
“The Government is focused on addressing the issues that matter most to families, including easing pressures on household finances and delivering greater economic security, rather than engaging in constitutional debates or further referendums.
“The Prime Minister’s approach to working with the First and deputy First Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is based on partnership and collaboration, focused on delivering growth and good jobs for people across all parts of our country.”
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