SNP leader John Swinney rules out Holyrood talks with Reform UK

"EPA SNP leader John Swinney has ruled out any negotiations with Reform UK as his party seeks to return to government. While the SNP comfortably won a fifth successive Holyrood election, the party is seven seats short of a majority - meaning it will have to rely on help from other parties to pass laws. Labour and Reform UK came joint second with 17 seats each, followed by the Greens on 15, the Conservatives on 12 and the Liberal Democrats on 10."

"Swinney told a news conference in Edinburgh that the SNP was by a "country mile" the leading party and would form the next government. He said the leaders of all other Holyrood parties would be invited individually to talks from next week - except for Reform. Swinney pointed to successful budget negotiations with the Greens and Lib Dems earlier this year, and said the party had worked constructively with the Tories and Labour on other issues."

"However, the SNP leader said Reform's leader in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, would not be invited for talks. The SNP leader said that election results in England, where Reform racked up more than 1,400 councillors, and in Wales, where it is the second largest party behind Plaid Cymru in the Senedd, showed the urgent need for independence. He warned that Nigel Farage was "galloping" towards Downing Street, which he said would be "catastrophic"."

"Swinney told the news conference: "It is vital that we unite in Scotland to ensure our parliament is fully Farage-proofed. "That means having the power before 2029 to decide our own constitutional future without Farage being able to block us." He added that after Plaid Cymru's success, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all had first ministers "committed to fundamental constitutional change"."

The SNP won a fifth consecutive Holyrood election but fell seven seats short of a majority, requiring support from other parties to pass laws. John Swinney said the SNP would form the next government and invited leaders of other Holyrood parties to talks, excluding Reform UK. Swinney cited prior budget negotiations with the Greens and Liberal Democrats and said the SNP had worked constructively with Conservatives and Labour on other issues. Malcolm Offord accused Swinney of being undemocratic. Swinney argued that Reform’s strength in England and Wales showed the need for independence and warned that Nigel Farage was moving toward Downing Street. He said Scotland must be “Farage-proofed” by gaining power before 2029 to decide its constitutional future.

Read at www.bbc.com