Keir Starmer ‘not available for Budget meeting’, John Swinney claims

Sir Keir Starmer’s team has rejected a request to meet with John Swinney this week ahead of the Budget, the First Minister has claimed.

Swinney is due to head to London this week, taking part in an event related to chancellor Rachel Reeves’ upcoming statement to the Commons.

But writing in the Daily Record on Monday, the First Minister said his push for talks with the Prime Minister ahead of the Budget had been rejected, as he accused the UK Government of treating Scotland like “an afterthought”.

The request was rejected by Downing Street, the First Minister claimed. PA Media

“I am heading to London on Wednesday ahead of the Budget and I asked to meet Keir Starmer to be clear on what people in Scotland expect him to deliver,” he said

“I was told he was not available to meet me.”

The First Minister raised the meeting he had with US president Donald Trump in the White House earlier this year to discuss a deal on whisky, saying it appeared to be easier to meet the head of the US Government than the UK Government.

He said: “When you think about that, bear in mind that recently, I was able to travel to Washington DC and meet Donald Trump to discuss a trade deal on whisky – which so far the UK Government have not been able to get over the line.

“But we are now in the position where it is apparently easier for the First Minister of Scotland to meet with the President of the United States, than with the UK Prime Minister.

“That is not the actions of a UK Government with any interest in Scotland – to Labour, Scotland will always be an afterthought.”

The UK Government has been contacted for comment.