<\/p>\n
Starmer and Swinney previously met in Edinburgh<\/p>\n
John Swinney says Sir\u00a0Keir Starmer\u00a0has agreed to meet him for talks that will include a second independence referendum.<\/p>\n
The meeting is scheduled for next month \u2013 assuming Sir Keir is still Prime Minister \u2013 and was agreed in a call from Downing Street congratulating Mr Swinney on his election success.<\/p>\n
Critics immediately accused the Prime Minister of yet another u-turn amid a clamour for him to leave office.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the First Minister said: \u201cThe First Minister is pleased that the Prime Minister reached out to congratulate him on his emphatic election win and that the Prime Minister stressed his willingness to work in collaboration with the Scottish Government where possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is particularly welcome that the Prime Minister agreed to meet next month to discuss a referendum on independence.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the\u00a0SNP\u2019s landslide victory and the fact that the people of Scotland have elected more pro-independence MSPs than at any point in the Parliament\u2019s history, the previous refusal of the\u00a0UK Government\u00a0to consider Scotland\u2019s right to decide its own future was clearly unsustainable. <\/p>\n
\u201cA way forward must be found and so these discussions are welcome.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing alongside Labour MSPs making clear that there must be a way for this question to be resolved, it is now very clear that the momentum is building behind Scotland\u2019s right to decide.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe First Minister looks forward to the talks with the UK Government, and is confident that the people of Scotland will choose the fresh start of independence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said:\u00a0\u201cEven by Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s dismal standards this is an extraordinary capitulation to John Swinney.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe warned during the election campaign that if Swinney achieved his self-imposed \u2018mandate\u2019 of an SNP majority, Starmer would be likely to surrender to his referendum demands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut for Starmer to entertain talks on the subject when the Nationalists haven\u2019t even met their own target is downright foolish and reckless.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he wasn\u2019t so weak, Starmer would have sent Swinney packing and told him to get on with the day job.<\/p>\n
\u201cLabour and Reform, who have a pro-independence MSP in their ranks, naively pander to the nationalist obsession of breaking up the UK. Only the Scottish Conservatives can be trusted to stand up for Scotland\u2019s place in the Union.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t #Starmer #agrees #independence #referendum #talks #Daily #Business<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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