Keir Starmer forced to ‘rule out deal with SNP’ as Boris rattles Labour leader by reviving Tory warnings of ‘coalition of chaos’ with Nicola Sturgeon after next election
- Keir Starmer forced to rule out ever doing a deal with the SNP after next election
- The Labour leader is set to pledge he would rather go into minority government
- It comes after Boris Johnson revives warnings of Labour-SNP ‘coalition of chaos’
Sir Keir Starmer is being forced to rule out ever doing a deal with the SNP after Boris Johnson revived Tory warnings of a ‘coalition of chaos’ governing the UK.
The Labour leader is set to pledge he would rather go into minority government after the next general election than strike an agreement with Nicola Sturgeon’s party.
Expectations that Sir Keir will soon come forward with a guarantee not to join forces with Scottish nationalists – as a means of entering Number 10 – is a sign he has been left rattled by the ramping up of Conservative attacks.
New analysis published today has shown how, based on current opinion polling, Labour are on course to be the largest party after the next general election.
But Sir Keir is set to be short of an overall majority in the House of Commons.
This means he would have to either have to try and form a minority government, or rely on the support of other parties.
Conservatives have frequently warned that the price of a Labour-SNP deal would be a second Scottish independence referendum.
Ahead of the 2015 general election, former prime minister David Cameron notably warned of the ‘chaos’ of a Labour administration being ‘held to ransom by the SNP’.
This was repeated by the Conservative Party to varying degrees at subsequent general elections in 2017 and 2019.
Mr Johnson has now revived the Tory attack line by outlining the ‘pretty stark’ choice for voters between a Conservative government or ‘Labour propped up by the SNP’.
Former health secretary Matt Hancock, who is viewed to be eyeing a return to the Cabinet, also recently warned the ‘only viable alternative to a Conservative government is a coalition between Sir Keir and Nicola Sturgeon’s separatist SNP’.
The Tory warnings about the potential outcome of the next general election have been given greater weight by Ms Sturgeon this week setting 19th October next year as the date for a second Scottish independence referendum.
This is despite Mr Johnson having shown no sign that he will grant her Scottish Government the legal power to hold another vote on ripping up the United Kingdom.
Sir Keir Starmer is set to pledge he would rather go into minority government after the next general election than strike an agreement with Nicola Sturgeon’s party
The SNP leader this week set 19th October next year as the date for a second Scottish independence referendum – despite the PM not having granted her the legal power for a vote
Boris Johnson has revived the Tory warning of a ‘coalition of chaos’ if the next general election results in a hung Parliament
According to the Guardian, in the wake of renewed Tory attacks, Sir Keir will make it explicit that a Labour government under him would not grant an independence referendum and would go into a minority government rather than enter talks with the SNP.
This would effectively dare the SNP to vote down a Queen’s Speech brought by a Labour minority administration, toppling a Labour prime minister and possibly enabling a new Tory government.
Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray told the newspaper: ‘If the SNP want to vote with the Tories to bring down a future Labour government, as they did in 1979 to usher in 18 years of Thatcher, then that would be their choice.
‘The Tories want to run these fake scaremongering campaigns, as they did in 2015, 2017 and 2019 because they have a dead duck leader and nothing to offer the people of this country.’
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is due to make a major speech in Westminster on Monday, in which he is expected to offer a hard line on possible cooperation with the SNP.
Mr Johnson revived the Tory attack line of a ‘coalition of chaos’ in a recent interview with the Financial Times.
He outlined the ‘pretty stark’ choice facing voters ahead of the next general election, telling the newspaper: ‘Do you want a sensible “One Nation” Conservative Party? This is a One Nation government that has done some fantastic things already and we’ll do a lot more.
‘Or do you want Labour propped up by the SNP? We’re going back to that choice.’
In an article for the Daily Mail this week, Mr Hancock reinforced the Tory warnings of a ‘grubby coalition deal that sells the Union down the river’
He wrote: ‘Almost the only viable alternative to a Conservative government is a coalition between Sir Keir and Nicola Sturgeon’s separatist SNP.
‘Her prize for cosying up with Labour will, of course, be another independence referendum for Scotland.’
New analysis from Electoral Calculus predicted that Labour would win 310 seats in the Commons at the next general election – 16 short of a majority
Mr Cameron’s warning to voters of ‘chaos with Ed Miliband’ – posted on Twitter – ahead of the 2015 general election is still regularly shared by social media users.
Many have used the tweet to point out how the 2015 vote was followed by Mr Cameron’s EU referendum, the subsequent Brexit carnage at Westminster and, now, Tory MPs plotting against Mr Johnson following the Partygate scandal.
New analysis from Electoral Calculus published today predicted that Labour would win 310 seats in the Commons at the next general election – 16 short of a majority.
The Tories were predicted to be the next largest party with 247 seats, the SNP third-largest with 51 seats, and the Liberal Democrats the fourth party at Westminster with 17 seats.
Their prediction was based on opinion polls from 10th June to 30th June, sampling 11,728 people.
At the 2019 general election, Mr Johnson’s Tories won won 365 seats compared to Labour’s 203, with the SNP winning 48 and the Lib Dems 11.
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