John Swinney has hit out at the “constant crisis” within the Labour Government at Westminster, as he pledged he would take “swift and early action” to help Scots through the cost-of-living crisis.
Speaking after being formally sworn in again as an MSP at Holyrood, the SNP leader contrasted his plans for helping people left struggling amid rising prices with the actions of the Prime Minister, whom he said was “almost entirely focused on saving his own job”.
His comments came as he promised the newly returned SNP Government would act quickly on manifesto pledges made during the Holyrood election campaign, to help tackle rising food prices, cut travel costs and help first-time buyers get on the property ladder.
In its first 100 days, the new minority SNP Government is promising to bring forward legislation to help establish a price cap for essential food items, launch the First Homes Fund – with help of £10,000 for those buying their first home – and extend the £2 cap on bus fares to six more local authority areas in Scotland.
Mr Swinney said: Over the course of the election campaign, the people of Scotland were clear with me that the cost of living was their biggest concern.
“I pledged that doing everything I can to support people through it would be top of my agenda as First Minister – and that is exactly how I will govern.”
Adding there would be “swift and early action to support people with the cost of living”, Mr Swinney said: “That is exactly what you get from a Scottish Government working for Scotland.”
He said this was in “contrast to a Westminster system which is in a state of almost constant crisis, and a Prime Minister almost entirely focused on saving his own job rather than providing the support people need”.
His comments came shortly before Wes Streeting quit as UK Health Secretary and called on Sir Keir Starmer to resign.
SNP leader Mr Swinney claimed: “While the SNP Government is bringing down costs where we have the powers, the UK Labour Government is consumed with chaos.”
He had earlier compared the “calm and elegance” of the Scottish Parliament, to the “utter chaos” of Westminster, where speculation continues to mount over a leadership challenge to Sir Keir.
Mr Swinney said he felt “enormous pride” to be the first MSP to be sworn in as the leader of the largest party at Holyrood.
He compared the system in Edinburgh to the one in London as Prime Minister Sir Keir battles for his premiership.
More than 80 Labour MPs have called for him to resign, and four ministers have quit, while reports suggest former health secretary Wes Streeting could mount a leadership challenge against him.
“I’m not altogether sure what is happening in Westminster just now,” the SNP leader told reporters at Parliament.
“But I think the contrast could not be greater between the calm and the elegance of the Scottish Parliament, with a government with a clear and commanding lead, able to take forward its steps to establish itself, and the utter chaos in the Labour Government in London.”
Mr Swinney said he was “delighted” to be the first person to take their oath at Holyrood.
While the SNP saw its number of MSPs fall from 64 to 58 in last week’s Scottish election, the party was voted back in for a record breaking fifth consecutive term in government in Edinburgh.
And Mr Swinney spoke of his “enormous pride at the huge scale of achievement in becoming the largest party again by such a commanding margin” adding he was “delighted to be leading the largest party and taking the oath as the leader of the largest party”.
While he has to be formally re-elected as first minister at Holyrood next week, he stated: “I’m delighted to have got to this point where I’ve led the SNP to a fifth successive victory and to have a commanding position in Parliament, and I look forward to forming a government next week, which will be a very exciting prospect.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, meanwhile, said he had “not even been following what has been happening at Westminster”.
Asked whether former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner should run to become Labour leader, Mr Sarwar – who called for Sir Keir to step down as Prime Minister back in February – would only say it was a “very good thing” that Ms Rayner had been cleared by HMRC of any wrongdoing over her stamp duty.
