JOHN Swinney has responded to Scottish Labour claiming their UK bosses would be open to negotiations on a bespoke Scottish visa system – saying he has doubts about whether it’s more than empty talk.
The First Minister was asked about comments from Scottish Labour depute leader Jackie Baillie as he appeared on BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show.
In an interview with The National’s sister paper The Herald, Baillie had said there could be “discussions” around a separate visa system to address Scotland’s immigration needs.
However, she said: "At the moment there are no plans for one, but I think if you have governments taking common sense approaches that an incoming Labour government would do, then dialogue will continue."
Asked about Baillie’s comments as he appeared on the Sunday Show, Swinney raised doubts that Labour would follow through and said he had not yet had any approaches from Labour to discuss a bespoke visa policy.
He said: “Nobody's approached us to say that.
“I welcome it because if it's an indication of some of the practical steps that might come from intergovernmental relations with an incoming Labour government, then nobody will engage in that more strongly than me.
“But allow me to just be a wee bit doubtful about it because that may be on the front page of a Scottish newspaper, but [Labour leader] Keir Starmer and [shadow home secretary] Yvette Cooper are on every UK television channel saying they're going to shut the door firmly on immigration.”
Swinney went on: “Let’s see what happens. I'll certainly engage in that, because we need a solution like that.
“If I take you back 20 years, the previous Labour-Liberal executive brought forward a fresh talent initiative which we supported in opposition because we recognised it was something that would benefit Scotland.
“I'll work constructively to try to take forward measures like that – but just allow me to put the point forward that the Labour Party has taken a very, very hostile attitude towards migration and we'd have to see how that would work out in practice.”
The SNP candidate for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-Shire Drew Hendry also cast doubts on Labour’s commitment to a bespoke Scottish visa – saying it was “completely at odds with the Labour party's rhetoric in this campaign to date”.
Hendry challenged an incoming Labour government to back up Baillie’s claims within 100 days of taking power.
He said: “It's time for Labour's branch office in Scotland to show where their influence really sits – commit to deliver this crucial programme in the first 100 days, or admit they are telling Scotland one thing and doing the opposite when they get into power.
"The SNP is wholeheartedly committed to decisions about Scotland being made here in Scotland. If you value that principle, you have to vote for it – vote SNP on July 4."
The SNP’s Highland manifesto, which was launched last week, contains a pledge to explore a rural visa pilot scheme to mitigate labour shortages – and an EU veterinary agreement to ease exports and imports.
Swinney said at the time: “Through providing certainty on farm funding, a Scottish rural visa scheme for agri-workers and bringing an end to damaging trade barriers with our neighbours in the EU, we will always seek to protect Scotland from the damage of decisions taken by Westminster.
“Ultimately though, mitigation will never be enough and that’s why the SNP is the only party offering an alternative to broken, Brexit Britain and the choice to get back into the European Union with independence.”
Scottish Labour's manifesto does not contain any pledges of new powers for the Scottish parliament or devolved government, but instead says immigration levels will be cut down.
"The overall level must be properly controlled and managed. Failure to do so reduces the incentives for businesses to train locally. So, Labour will reduce UK net migration," the Scottish labour manifesto states.
