SNP not ruling out deals with Labour

THE SNP is not ruling out working agreements with Scottish Labour in council chambers across the country following the election last week.

Kirsten Oswald, the SNP’S deputy Westminster leader, said her party are open to deals with progressive parties in town halls but said no such arrangements would be made with the Tories.

However, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar reiterated his pre-election stance by saying no formal agreements would be made with other parties. He did say that his party, which finished in second place ahead of the Tories, could work with others on an issue-by-issue basis.

At the council elections on Thursday, the SNP came out as the biggest party with 453 seats while Labour came in second with 282 and the Tories finished third with 214, down 63 councillors on 2017.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Oswald said: “There will be discussions at local level – there’s no chance of us getting into any kind of paper sharing arrangement with the Tories. That’s obvious and that’s clear. There is the need for us to have these discussions and that dialogue will be ongoing.”

She was pressed if the SNP was ruling out working with Labour, replying: “I think we would always make agreements with any progressive party – I think that’s what the electoral system requires of us and that’s what our voters would expect us to do

– to have sensible mature discussions about how best to move forward and how best to achieve the most sensible outcomes.”

Mr Sarwar said that Scottish Labour would be looking to form minority administrations across Scotland following the election.

He added: “I made clear throughout the election campaign that we will be having no formal coalitions with any other political parties. That’s a position that remains.”