Exclusive:Senior Labour minister hits out at 'aggressive' and 'tribal' response to King's Speech from SNP's Stephen Flynn

Speaking exclusively to The Scotsman, Scotland Secretary Ian Murray criticised Mr Flynn over his rhetoric following Labour’s historic election win, which saw the SNP reduced from 48 MPs in 2019 to just nine.

Mr Murray also spoke of his hopes for a “re-set” of relations with the Scottish Government as he stressed his party must work hard to deliver for those concerned about jobs in oil and gas.

In the hours after the King’s Speech was delivered on Thursday, Mr Flynn had branded the moment a “missed opportunity” to deliver change, saying it was “bitterly disappointing that they have thrown that opportunity away”.

Mr Murray claimed he had a “great” relationship with the senior SNP figure, but suggested Mr Flynn’s language in the Commons was a stark contrast to that of the Scottish Government.

“I think there’s a really good contrast … you’ve got the Deputy First Minister [Kate Forbes], who we’ve been speaking to a lot and working with very closely, putting out a press release on the back of the King’s Speech, saying ‘let’s work together and deliver for the people of Scotland’,” Mr Murray said.

"On the other side, you’ve got Stephen Flynn – the way he went in at Parliament, the sort of aggressive and tribal way that Stephen operates. So there’s a contrast within the SNP at the moment.

"My view would be it would be much better for Stephen Flynn to take time to reflect on what’s just happened to the SNP in Scotland, because it’s quite clear that approach didn’t work before and I don’t think it’ll work this time. Not when you’ve got a government trying to do good things for the benefit of everyone in Scotland.”

Speaking in the week of the King’s Speech, Mr Murray expressed hope the two administrations could now work closer together, referencing the Renters’ Rights Bill as an example. He said: “The Scottish Government has asked for it to be extended to Scotland around taking the discrimination away against tenants with benefits and with children. They have asked us to legislate on their behalf.”

The Edinburgh South MP referenced Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visiting Scotland immediately after the election win as a show of Labour’s intent.

"The Prime Minister and First Minister having met within 48 hours of the new government being formed was a really good meeting, very constructive, and all the secretaries of state who have Cabinet equivalencies in the Scottish Parliament have all spoken to them at least once, both formally and informally,” he said.

"The working relationship has been re-set, and there’s a political re-set as well. It’s hugely important because we want to work together to get things done. It’s also about showing that politics can be done differently.”

Asked if this could last until the Holyrood election, taking place in 2026, Mr Murray was hopeful. He said: “I hope the relationship will sustain and I hope that the Scottish Government see that actually the best way for them to progress on some of the things they want to do is to work in partnership with us.”

Labour used the King’s Speech to outline its Bill to set up “Great British Energy” – a company that will own, manage and operate clean power projects across the country – but is yet to confirm a location for the headquarters in Scotland.

Mr Murray said he understood the fears of oil and gas surrounding the launch of GB Energy, but vowed the government would convince them with actions, not words.

He said: “I’m not surprised that they are worried about jobs because they have been promised a just transition or whatever that means for the last decade, and they have not seen it. Lots of talk and lots of glossy brochures and no actual action.

"GB Energy, it’s about creating those jobs for the future. It’s about saying that oil and gas will be with us for decades to come. It’s about saying that if you want to transfer across to renewables, there’ll be jobs there for you. It’s going to be a direct investor, but also it’s going to manage, operate and generate energy, and produce 69,000 jobs in Scotland alone.

“We have to start showing as a government that the transition isn’t just a set of words and we can achieve it. We’ve got to demonstrate tangibly that the just transition and jobs of the future aren’t just words, but they are actually there.”

The senior minister also rebuffed criticism of the party for failing to scrap the two-child limit on benefits, which will face a series of votes in the Commons. With Labour launching a poverty taskforce on the same day as the King’s Speech, Mr Murray dismissed the idea this was just to ward off disapproval.

He said: “The problem we have at this moment in time is we can’t promise stuff we can’t deliver, and we have the worst set of economic circumstances of any incoming government in peacetime. Poverty is about a whole multitude of different things, not just one small element of the welfare system. So the taskforce that’s been set up is going to look at a host of things – housing, employability, opportunities, the welfare system – through a review of Universal Credit.

“Every Labour Government has reduced poverty. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again. But it’s got to be done systematically rather than a small element of the welfare system when at this moment in time there is no money to be able to do anything about it.”

The Edinburgh South MP, who was the only Labour candidate to win in Scotland in 2019, also expressed his joy at having so many new colleagues and stressed their importance was already clear from the government appointments. Michael Shanks, the MP for Rutherglen was appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, while Midlothian MP Kirsty McNeill was appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Scotland office.

Mr Murray said: “I feel as if I’ve gone from having no kids to running a nursery. There’s all these new MPs running around trying to find their feet, but they’re all great ... they will contribute a significant amount to this government.”

SNP MP Kirsty Blackman MP said: "People in Scotland voted for change at Westminster – and the SNP will work with the Labour government, wherever possible, to ensure significant and substantial change is now delivered.

"Where real change is not forthcoming, the SNP has a responsibility to hold the Labour government to account. That includes challenging the Labour government's two-child benefit cap, which is pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty and must be scrapped immediately.

"There is cross-party consensus on the need to scrap the cap, including a backbench rebellion in the Labour Party. We urge Ian Murray and other Labour government ministers to listen to the evidence and deliver the change people in Scotland want to see."