Labour says ‘no basis’ for deal with SNP

Labour will not make a deal with the Scottish National Party before or after the next general election, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Labour leader made a fresh pitch to voters, stressing his own integrity and vision for the country.

Sir Keir told reporters that he could rule out a coalition with a party that wanted to put a border between England and Scotland.

Fresh from a by-election victory in Wakefield last month and speaking the day after Boris Johnson resigned as Conservative leader, Sir Keir said Labour was ready to win a general election.

With Conservative candidates gearing up for a contest to replace Mr Johnson as prime minister, Sir Keir said Labour was planning to govern alone after the next election.

He was adamant that he was neither seeking a deal with the SNP nor would he enter into one.

He also played down the prospect of a LabourLiberal Democrat coalition.

In a speech in London, he said it was an “inprinciple position” that he would not do a deal with Nicola Sturgeon’s party.

“There will be no deal going into a general election and no deal coming out of a general election. And that’s not just about a numbers game as far as I’m concerned. I want to be prime minister for the whole of the United Kingdom.

“I want a Labour government for the whole of the United Kingdom. There is no basis, no basis, for an alliance with a party who wants to break up the United Kingdom.

“I want to grow the economy. There’s no basis for an alliance with a party that thinks the answer to grow the economy is to put

a border between England and Scotland.

“There is no basis for an alliance under a Keir Starmer government between Labour and the SNP.”

Sir Keir also insisted that he wanted a Labour majority in the House of Commons, not reliant on the Liberal Democrats.

PLEDGE: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out any alliance with the SNP.

Nicola Sturgeon.