John Swinney has said he is looking forward to working with Andy Burnham if the Greater Manchester mayor becomes Prime Minister, describing the prospect of their talks as “constructive” when it comes to advancing Scottish independence.
The First Minister made the comments as speculation continues to grow about the future of the Labour leadership and who might eventually succeed Keir Starmer in Downing Street. Burnham, a long-standing figure in Labour politics and a popular devolution champion in his own right, is frequently mentioned as a future leadership contender.
Swinney suggested that Burnham’s background in regional politics and his understanding of devolved power could make him a more sympathetic ear than previous UK government figures when it comes to Scotland’s constitutional ambitions.
“I look forward to constructive conversations with Andy Burnham,” Swinney said, signalling that the SNP administration sees potential common ground with the Manchester mayor on questions of self-determination and the transfer of powers away from Westminster.
It is a notable shift in tone from the often fractious relationship the SNP has had with the current Labour government in London. Since Starmer took power, the constitutional question has largely been parked, with Westminster making clear it has no intention of granting a second independence referendum any time soon.
Swinney has consistently argued that the Scottish people should have the right to choose their own future, and the SNP has been exploring different routes to making that happen, whether through a Westminster election mandate or other legal and political mechanisms.
The First Minister’s warm words toward Burnham are likely to be read as a political signal as much as anything else. By publicly flagging a potentially better working relationship with a future Labour leader, Swinney is keeping the independence conversation alive and positioning the SNP as ready to engage with whoever ends up holding the keys to Number 10.
Burnham himself has spoken in the past about the importance of federalism and greater devolution across the UK, which puts him closer to the SNP’s general direction of travel than many in the Labour establishment, even if he stops well short of supporting Scottish independence outright.
For SNP supporters, the prospect of a more devolution-friendly Prime Minister is an encouraging one. The party has long argued that the current constitutional settlement is not working for Scotland and that more powers, if not full independence, are needed to properly serve Scottish interests.
Critics, however, will point out that warm words between politicians do not translate into policy, and that any future UK Labour leader would still face enormous pressure from within their own party to hold the line against another independence vote.
Swinney’s comments come at a time when the independence movement is looking for momentum after a difficult few years marked by internal SNP turbulence, the departure of Nicola Sturgeon, and a series of political and financial controversies that dented the party’s standing.
With a Scottish Parliament election on the horizon, the SNP is keen to re-energise its base and remind voters that independence remains the central goal. Framing potential talks with a future Labour PM as an opportunity rather than an obstacle fits neatly into that strategy.
Whether Burnham ever makes it to Downing Street remains to be seen. But Swinney is clearly watching that space closely.