Sir Keir Starmer made the “right decision” to quit, John Swinney said, with Scotland’s First Minister insisting the Prime Minister had failed to deliver the change he promised voters two years ago
With Sir Keir now departing Downing Street – becoming the sixth prime minister in 10 years to do so – Mr Swinney said this showed the UK was “unable to sustain stable government”.
And he insisted that rather than simply a change of personnel in Downing Street – with Andy Burnham now the most likely candidate to become the next incumbent at No 10 – what is needed is a “fundamental change of direction”.
Mr Swinney also advised Mr Burnham that if he does become prime minister he should make a “careful choice” about who his Scottish Secretary should be – saying that Douglas Alexander had “soured” relations between the governments in London and Edinburgh.
The First Minister spoke after an emotional resignation statement from Sir Keir, who had spent the weekend spent considering his future with his family at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country residence.
In a statement outside 10 Downing Street, Sir Keir said his party had questioned if he was “best placed” to lead Labour into the next general election.
Sir Keir said he had “heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question” and that he would “accept that answer with good grace”.
He will now step down as Prime Minister when his successor is in place, before the end of Westminster’s summer recess.
Mr Swinney said that “on a personal level” he wished the Prime Minister and his family well, with the First Minister reflecting: “Leadership is tough, and can make extraordinary demands both on the leader and their families.”
Commenting on the Prime Minister’s decision to go, he added: “Sir Keir Starmer has made the right decision.
“It was past time for him to face reality and the fact he now has allows some hope that things can change.”
But Mr Swinney declared: “Rather than simply a change of personnel, what is needed is a fundamental change of direction.”
Speaking to the Press Association, Mr Swinney added: “On a political level the Prime Minister has recognised what many of us have seen for a long time – that his government is failing and it failed to deliver the change and the transformation and the improvement in people’s living standards that people were looking for.
“This is another change of Prime Minister in the United Kingdom, which demonstrates after a relatively short space of time again the United Kingdom is unable to sustain stable government.”
The First Minister was clear that the next PM “has got to improve people’s living standards”, adding that “that is the fundamental issue that has got to be confronted, that is what has been eroding trust in political leaders”.
But he said: “Fundamentally, the Prime Minister will have to look back on the last two years and realise he has not delivered the change he promised the people of this country.”
Speaking about Sir Keir’s likely successor, he said Mr Burnham would “have to fulfil his rhetoric on devolving more power from Whitehall”, with the SNP leader saying that would be the “first big test” for him.
He also said he should remove the current Scottish Secretary, Mr Alexander, with the First Minister advising Mr Burnham to “choose representatives of his government that can construct a positive working relationship with Scotland”.
Mr Swinney added: “That doesn’t include the current Secretary of State for Scotland, who has soured relations between the Scottish Government and the UK Government.
“So Andy Burnham would have to make a careful choice about who is representative is going to be in Scotland.”
The First Minister spoke as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar – who called for the Prime Minister to step down back in February this year – said it would be a “difficult day” for him.
Mr Sarwar thanked the outgoing Labour leader “for all that he did to change the Labour Party and our country”, adding: “I will always be proud of the work we did together to end 14 years of Tory government, returning 37 Scottish Labour MPs, securing shipbuilding on the Clyde for a generation, ending austerity and lifting half a million children out of poverty.
“That is a legacy that no one can take away from him.”
Mr Sarwar said now “the Labour Party must quickly return its focus to the purpose it was elected for – to deliver the change people need”.
He continued: “On a personal level, I know today will have been a difficult day for Keir.
“I have never doubted his integrity or determination to do what was best for our country.
“I thank him and his family for their sacrifices and their service.”
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