A SUGGESTION from the Labour Party to Rishi Sunak to rule out a “grubby, desperate deal” with the SNP has been described as “totally hilarious”.
It comes after Downing Street refused to rule out a Tory coalition with the DUP or other parties depending on the results of the next General Election.
The Prime Minister’s press secretary told reporters: “I don’t think anyone at this stage is going to speculate on the results of the next election.
“The Prime Minister is fully committed to and focused on delivering his five priorities and that’s what we’re going to do to get a Conservative majority.”
Meanwhile, Labour’s shadow Scotland secretary Ian Murray said that Sunak’s refusal to rule out any deal with the SNP “is a sign of his desperation to cling to power”.
“A repeat of the Tory-Nat coalition previously seen in Scotland would wreck the UK, putting the very foundations of our country at risk”, he said.
“Under Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar’s leadership, Labour has said repeatedly we wouldn’t do any deal with those who want to break up our country.
“The Tories must now urgently follow Labour’s example.”
SNP MP Pete Wishart saw the funny side of Murray’s comments and retweeted them with the caption: “This is totally hilarious.”
This is totally hilarious. https://t.co/goUct9uK9n
— Pete Wishart (@PeteWishart) May 10, 2023
Meanwhile, the party’s deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black said Murray had all but admitted the UK is on course for a hung parliament.
She said: “Voting SNP is the only way to beat the Tories in Scotland at the next election – and a strong team of SNP MPs can ensure Scotland holds the balance of power at Westminster.
“By talking up the prospect of Tory coalitions, bungling Ian Murray has unwittingly admitted the UK is on course for a hung parliament, contradicting Keir Starmer, and making a spectacular boomerang attack on his own Tory-backing party.
“Unlike the pro-Brexit Labour Party, the SNP would never prop up a Tory administration. Under Keir Starmer, the Labour Party has lurched so far to the right that they’ve got into bed with the Tories in councils across Scotland.
“These sleazy Tory-Labour pacts must end now.”
This comes after Stephen Flynn said that Starmer will U-turn on his refusal to work with the SNP following the next General Election.
The SNP's Westminster leader said his party would be “very clear” in terms of the issues they want prioritised which would include the cost of living, seeing “Brexit rolled back” and securing a second independence referendum.
