Starmer urges SNP to be ‘honest’ about Scotland’s financial woes

PM asks nationalists to stop blaming Labour for the ‘mess’ they have made of the public purse

Sir Keir Starmer has challenged the SNP to start being “honest” about the “mess” they have made of Scotland’s public finances rather than trying to blame his Government.
The Prime Minister said John Swinney’s administration was “desperately floating around trying to blame” Labour “for the mistakes that they’ve made.”
He poured scorn on their attempts to blame Labour for Scottish Government spending cuts, noting that he had only been in power for eight weeks compared to the nationalists’ 17 years.
Sir Keir instead argued the SNP should follow his example by “taking the tough decisions and taking responsibility for those decisions.”
But senior Labour sources told The Telegraph there were concerns that Sir Keir’s unpopular announcements would damage the party’s efforts to oust the SNP from power in the 2026 Holyrood election.
Sir Keir was forced to admit that some of his Government’s early decisions, such as means testing the winter fuel payment south of the Border, had been “gloomy” as he denied being an “Eeyore” Prime Minister.
Instead, he argued that the “hard yards” had to be done to fix Britain’s foundations, so that longer-term increases in economic growth and living standards could be achieved.
His intervention came after SNP ministers last week unveiled £500 million of spending cuts in an effort to plug a £1 billion financial black hole in their spending plans.
Among the measures they have announced is scrapping a pledge to roll out free school meals to all primary school pupils within the current parliament, which ends in 2026.
They have also followed the Chancellor’s decision to means test the winter fuel payment, control over which has been devolved this year.
In a statement to MSPs, Shona Robison, the SNP Finance Secretary, blamed “Westminster austerity” for the shortfall and argued Scotland would not be facing the cuts if it was independent.
But the Scottish Fiscal Commission, which provides SNP ministers’ official economic forecasts, has disclosed that “much” of the cuts were caused by the SNP’s own spending choices, particularly on public sector pay.
The commission – Scotland’s version of the UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility – said the average public sector employee in Scotland now earns £2,400 a year more than their UK counterpart.
Speaking to journalists in 10 Downing Street, Sir Keir said his Government had been “honest about the inheritance that we’ve got” and was “not walking past the mess that the Tories have left for us.”
“Therefore we are taking the tough decisions and taking responsibility for those decisions. I think it’s time the SNP were honest about the mess that they actually made for themselves,” the Prime Minister said.
“They’ve been in power for 17 years. They’re desperately floating around trying to blame a Government of eight weeks for the mistakes that they’ve made.”“You saw this from the Scottish Fiscal Commission about the responsibility the SNP have for their own finances.
“So just as we are being honest about our inheritance and honest about the difficult decisions we have had to make, it is time the SNP were honest about the financial mess which is off their own making from the last 17 years.”
A poll this week showed the SNP and Labour are neck-and-neck in support for the May 2026 Holyrood election, with Mr Swinney facing the prospect of being ousted from power.
But senior Labour figures are concerned that the swathe of unpopular measures unveiled by Sir Keir risked denting the party’s ratings, handing the SNP a fifth term in office.
Sir Keir was challenged whether he was an “Eeyore” Prime Minister who was undermining the hopes of Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, of becoming First Minister.
Insisting there was “massive hope” in his Government’s longer-term agenda, the Prime Minister said: “The change we want to bring about is massive, which is to make sure the economy is not only growing but growing across the whole of the United Kingdom, including in Scotland, which will be measured in living standards rising, people feeling better off in Scotland in a material way. That is very bright, that is very hopeful.”
He added: “It is that hope, that light at the end of the tunnel that is driving these decisions, which on their face I accept appear gloomy and hard.
“But the purpose of doing them is to ensure that we deliver on the hope. What I don’t want is the false hope of pretending things will be better but not doing the hard yards.”
Comparing Britain to a dilapidated house, the Prime Minister said that too many politicians were tempted to “paint over” damp or cracks so its appearance was superficially attractive.
But he said he wanted to “get something built to last” by securing the foundations, adding: “That’s what I want to do for the whole of the United Kingdom.” 
Shona Robison, Scotland’s Finance Secretary, said: “The SNP Government has delivered a balanced budget in every year that we have been in office, and we will continue to do so.
“I am proud to serve in a government which is investing to lift children in Scotland out of poverty, and is ensuring our police, our nurses and our teachers are the best-paid in the UK.
“Westminster austerity is unsustainable and is having a huge impact on public services and living standards – once upon a time Labour agreed with the SNP on this fact.
“For months, Labour refused to be honest with voters that their spending plans would lead to billions of pounds of cuts to public services – despite repeated warnings from the SNP.
“Now, following the Chancellor’s announcement of £22 billion of cuts, Scotland faces the most challenging financial situation in the history of the reconvened Scottish Parliament.”