John Swinney Rejects Reform UK Talks, Prioritises Scottish Independence Referendum
Scottish National Party (SNP) leader John Swinney has definitively ruled out any discussions with Reform UK, as his party navigates forming the next Scottish government. While the SNP secured a fifth consecutive Holyrood election victory, they remain seven seats shy of an outright majority, compelling reliance on other parties to re-establish Swinney as First Minister and enact legislation.
Reform UK's Scottish leader, Malcolm Offord, labelled Swinney's decision as "arrogant, petty and deeply undemocratic." Swinney, however, asserted the SNP's leading position and confirmed invitations would be extended to all other Holyrood party leaders individually, excluding Reform.
Swinney highlighted successful budget negotiations with the Greens and Liberal Democrats earlier this year, alongside constructive engagement with the Conservatives and Labour on other matters. He justified the exclusion of Reform by pointing to the party's electoral gains in England and Wales, framing their rise as a "catastrophic" development that demands an expedited Scottish independence referendum.
The SNP leader insisted that Scotland must "unite... to ensure our parliament is fully Farage-proofed," advocating for the power to determine Scotland's constitutional future before 2029. Despite not securing a majority to unilaterally trigger a second independence referendum, which requires UK government assent, Swinney maintained that Holyrood possesses a mandate, citing the increased number of pro-independence MSPs from the SNP and Greens.
Offord dismissed independence as a "dead duck" and accused Swinney of perpetuating "out-of-touch establishment politics." Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay criticised Swinney for "brazenly peddling a massive lie" regarding an independence mandate. Ross Greer, Scottish Greens co-leader, affirmed continued "constructive" work with a new SNP government, prioritising cost-of-living measures. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton argued that the lack of an SNP majority should "put in the deep freeze for at least the next five years" the question of another independence referendum.
