Andy Burnham must recognise Westminster “does not have the right to dictate Scotland’s future”, First Minister John Swinney said as he congratulated the new Labour leader on his role.
The former Greater Manchester mayor, who returned to Westminster last month as Makerfield MP, was confirmed as Labour leader on Friday before entering Number 10 as prime minister on Monday.
In his pitch for the Labour leadership, Mr Burnham focused on devolution and said he wanted to decentralise Westminster, including an extension of the prime minister’s office to Manchester to be called the “Number 10 North”.
Mr Swinney has said he will be meeting the new prime minister next week and said that if Mr Burnham “is serious about a genuinely new approach”, the SNP will be a “willing partner”.
He said: “I congratulate Andy Burnham and I intend to do everything I can to build a constructive relationship with him in order to improve the lives of people in Scotland.
“The UK faces serious challenges on a number of fronts. Flatlining living standards, weak economic growth and years of austerity have left households, public services and businesses struggling – made worse by the revolving door at 10 Downing Street and bad decisions taken by Westminster against Scotland’s wishes.
“If Andy Burnham is serious about a genuinely new approach that can properly address these challenges, he will find in me and the SNP a willing partner. But that relationship must be based on a recognition that the political landscape across the UK is changing, and that Westminster does not have the right to dictate Scotland’s future.
“I look forward to speaking with the next prime minister in the coming days.”
Earlier, Mr Swinney’s deputy Jenny Gilruth called on the UK Government to “grant the Scottish people a referendum”.
She said: “Andy Burnham, I think, will be Scotland’s seventh prime minister in 10 years when he comes into office, which I think tells you something about the instability we’ve seen from the UK Government, regardless of party, over the past decade.
“That’s not been good for Scotland. It’s not been good for the UK. But look, Andy Burnham’s coming in. He’s promising that he wants to work with a devolved government, so he will find in us a willing partner, and we will take him at his word and work with him in good faith.”
However, Ms Gilruth said the “greatest devolution” Scotland could have would be independence as she called on the UK Government to grant another referendum.
It has already been reported that Mr Burnham would likely oppose such a vote.
Ms Gilruth said: “The people have returned a majority of independence supporting MSPs in Parliament, the largest number ever. We think that now is the time for the UK Government to recognise that and grant the Scottish people a referendum.
“The prime minister will meet with the First Minister next week, and we look forward to working with the UK Government, but recognising, of course, the democratic rights of the Scottish people.”
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