John Swinney has declared that Sir Keir Starmer's time as Prime Minister is 'numbered', following what he described as an 'underwhelming' speech delivered on Monday. The First Minister of Scotland made the remarks during a visit to a hospital in Edinburgh, as he dismissed the Prime Minister's address as failing to improve people's lives.
Sir Keir's speech, billed by some as an attempt to salvage his premiership after poor election results in Scotland, Wales and English local councils, included plans to nationalise British Steel, a ban on 'far-right agitators' entering the UK for a planned march, and a commitment to place the UK 'at the heart of Europe'. However, Mr Swinney argued that the election results from Thursday were evidence that the Prime Minister had 'run out of road'.
'I think the Prime Minister's days in office are numbered,' Mr Swinney told the Press Association. '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.' He added that it was 'just a matter of time before he and the Labour Party work out exactly how he should leave office'.
While Mr Swinney said he 'understands the rationale' behind the nationalisation of British Steel, he expressed scepticism given the UK Government's industrial record, citing the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery. He criticised Sir Keir for failing to mention protecting institutions like Grangemouth, which he had promised to save in 2024 but has now closed. '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,' Mr Swinney concluded.
