Sir Keir Starmer made the “right decision” to quit, John Swinney said, with Scotland’s First Minister insisting it was “past time” for the Labour leader to “face reality”.
With Sir Keir now departing Downing Street – becoming the sixth prime minister in 10 years to do so – Mr Swinney said there was now “some hope that things can change”.
But he insisted that rather than simply a change of personnel – with Andy Burnham now the most likely candidate to become the next incumbent at Number 10 – what is needed is a “fundamental change of direction”.
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.
“Labour’s time in power has been characterised by broken promises, poor judgment and, ultimately, failure.
“Instead of supporting those who are struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table, the Labour Party has continued the instability and infighting for which Westminster is known, and there seems to be no end in sight.”
He added that “people will rightly be frustrated and embarrassed that the UK’s sixth Prime Minister in 10 years once again failed to get to grips with the challenges facing this country” with Mr Swinney saying there was “no reason to believe the seventh will be any different”.
Arguing that “Scotland deserves better”, he insisted change was “just not possible within the Westminster system”.
Mr Swinney insisted: “A fresh start is possible, but only with independence.
“That is the future I will continue to fight for as I lead a government that is delivering on Scotland’s priorities – tackling the cost of living, growing our economy and building a fairer nation.”
Scottish Green co-leader Gillian Mackay also questioned if Mr Burnham, who was only voted in to Parliament in a by-election last week, would do a better job.
Speaking about Sir Keir, Ms Mackay said: “Keir Starmer promised integrity and change but has delivered disgrace and failure.
“His most immoral decision was to arm, support and enable Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.”
This, she claimed, was “one of the worst decisions of any Prime Minister this century”.
She added that Sir Keir “was a human rights lawyer, but his Government has attacked the rights of pensioners and disabled people and inflicted cruel anti-migrant laws, while abandoning much-needed efforts to tackle the climate emergency” – saying that this was “not a legacy anyone should be proud of”.
But she said: “There is no reason to think Andy Burnham will be any better.”
Speaking about the Greater Manchester mayor, she added: “This isn’t a man that will deliver change for Scotland. Our country deserves better than being trapped in Labour’s feuds while we face the real prospect of Nigel Farage in Downing Street.
“If Andy Burnham has any belief in democracy then he must urgently allow the people of Scotland the power to hold a referendum so that we can end Westminster’s chaos and deliver real change through independence.”
Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “Having jumped before he was pushed by Labour MPs, Sir Keir Starmer will be remembered as the Prime Minister of U-turns and broken promises.
“But putting Andy Burnham into Downing Street changes nothing because our country will still be stuck with a left-wing Labour Government that will only ever increase people’s taxes while failing to tackle the out-of-control benefits bill.
“And they’re too arrogant to end their idiotic war on Scotland’s oil and gas sector, despite our party’s seismic victory in Aberdeen South.
“Fundamentally, this failing Labour Government will take the same damaging approach seen by the SNP administration, which spells double disaster for Scotland.”
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