Sir Keir Starmer’s days in Downing Street are “numbered”, John Swinney has claimed, as he branded the Prime Minister’s speech on Monday “underwhelming”. Sir Keir’s appearance in central London was billed by some as an attempt to save his premiership following poor election results in Scotland, Wales and local councils in England. He announced plans to nationalise British Steel, a ban on “far-right agitators” coming to the UK for a planned march on Saturday and a plan to put the UK “at the heart of Europe”.
Swinney's criticism
Speaking to the Press Association during a visit to a hospital in Edinburgh, John Swinney said: “I think the Prime Minister’s days in office are numbered. I think today was just another of these underwhelming speeches that he makes that don’t actually advance the agenda of improving people’s lives. I think the election results on Thursday were the clearest evidence that the current Prime Minister has run out of road and I think it’s just a matter of time before he and the Labour Party work out exactly how he should leave office.”
Scepticism over nationalisation
Mr Swinney added that he “understands the rationale” behind the plans to nationalise British Steel, but that he was a “bit sceptical” given the UK Government’s industrial record, pointing to the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery. “I’m a bit surprised that he never said anything about the need to protect institutions like Grangemouth, which he promised to save … in 2024 – it’s now closed,” he said. “So, I’m a bit sceptical about some of these messages because I don’t think the Prime Minister’s got a track record of delivering the improvements in people’s lives that people need.”
