JOHN Swinney has said that the public will “welcome” his “transparency” in his efforts to lock out Reform UK at Holyrood.
The First Minister said he would be seeking talks with the leaders of all political parties in Holyrood in a bid to foster better relations, but that Reform UK would not be involved.
The party, led by Malcolm Offord gained 17 seats at the Holyrood election last week.
Swinney wrote to the leaders of the other parties in Holyrood following last week’s election proposing to head the Scottish Government “on a basis of cross-party co-operation”.
Speaking during a visit to the Western General Infirmary in Edinburgh, Swinney said: “I think I’ve just got to be clear with the public and just set it out the way it is.
“I think the public will welcome transparency and openness from the First Minister, making it clear that what I said during the election, that I wouldn’t co-operate or collaborate with Reform – is what I’m going to do after the election.
“There’s no surprise about it, there’s no news announcement that’s been made, I’m just setting out, today, what I’ve said before the election.”
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However, Swinney has not ruled out backing a member’s Bill from Reform, regardless of its aims.
He said: “Parliamentary procedures are of their own identity, I, of course, will answer parliamentary questions from Reform members.”
“I will, of course, respond to members’ debates that come forward.
“But what I won’t do is engage in political co-operation and collaboration with Reform – I won’t have anything to do with it.”
During Swinney’s visit to the Edinburgh hospital, he said, it was to see “some of the great strengths in the NHS”.
He added: “It also illustrates my determination to make sure that, in every respect, we’re doing all that we can to improve the performance and the effectiveness of the National Health Service.”
Swinney remains the First Minister but faces a vote in Holyrood next week to officially re-elect him to the post, though he is expected to secure the required votes.
Reform UK Scotland’s deputy leader Thomas Kerr accused the First Minister of “political posturing”.
Kerr said: “We’ve not even stepped foot in the chamber yet.
“These are politicians who are doing political posturing before we’ve even stepped foot in the chambers of the Holyrood Parliament.
“So, I think it’s ridiculous for them, it’s anti-democratic, we’ve seen this last year when John Swinney held his anti-democratic summit, it backfired on him then … this will backfire on him.”
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Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay called the move a “self-serving PR stunt” by the First Minister.
Findlay said: “If he was genuinely seeking ‘common ground’, he wouldn’t be renewing his push for another divisive independence referendum.”
“Swinney didn’t achieve his self-imposed ‘mandate’ of an SNP majority, so now he’s shamefully moving the goalposts.
“If other party leaders want to fall into this chancer’s trap, that’s up to them – but I won’t.”
The invitation to the other party leaders comes after the First Minister was greeted at the Scottish Government’s base at St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh by the country’s top civil servant, Permanent Secretary Joe Griffin.
More than 100 civil servants applauded in the lobby of the building as the First Minister arrived on Monday morning.
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