Scotland's First Minister has launched a scathing attack on the UK Labour Government, branding it as 'riven with internal dissent' following a night of political turmoil in Westminster.
Late-Night Briefings Spark Crisis
The political firestorm erupted after a series of late-night briefings from Number 10, which appeared to be defending Sir Keir Starmer's leadership position. The briefings pointed fingers at Health Secretary Wes Streeting, suggesting he was involved in efforts to undermine the Prime Minister.
Speaking to the PA news agency in Glasgow on Wednesday 12 November 2025, Mr Swinney did not hold back in his criticism. He stated that people in Scotland would be 'taken aback' by the internal conflicts at the highest levels of the UK Government so soon after the general election.
'Profoundly Disappointing' Performance
The First Minister argued that voters had expected the Labour administration to 'clear up the mess of the Tories' when they voted for them in the summer of 2024. Instead, he claimed, the government is failing to deliver for the people and its poor performance is directly reflected in Keir Starmer's leadership.
'Just over a year later, the Labour Government is riven with internal dissent,' Mr Swinney declared. He emphasised that this internal wrangling makes Scotland's task more difficult, as it has to contend with a poorly performing UK government that replaced another poorly performing administration.
The First Minister concluded that 'Government in London is damaging for Scotland' and that Scottish people would be feeling profoundly disappointed by the Labour Party's conduct and the previous night's events.
