Labour and the SNP6 Dec 2022 19:30
“Labour has been accused of “testing the water” for a possible post-general election coalition with the SNP by offering the Scottish government new powers to sign international agreements.
A recommendation buried in Labour’s 174-page Commission on the UK’s Future says Scotland should be allowed “to enter into international agreements and join international bodies in relation to devolved matters”.
These could include the Erasmus student exchange scheme, which is only open to EU countries.
The suggestion has alarmed senior figures in the Foreign Office, which represents the UK’s four nations on the international stage.
One source said it appeared Labour was making an early offer to form a government with the SNP if the polls narrow and there is a hung Parliament after the next election, expected to take place in 2024.
The controversial section of the report, which was unveiled by Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, and Gordon Brown, the former prime minister, is headlined “International recognition of Scotland and its parliament”.
Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, added: “It’s extraordinarily naive of Labour to think they can appease the SNP by handing them more powers, when nothing short of independence will ever satisfy them.
“Gordon Brown’s proposals to give the Scottish government free rein to pursue their own foreign policy and sign international agreements is a dangerous concession.
“Foreign affairs is a reserved matter for a reason – because it’s vital that the UK speaks with one voice on the international stage. This would be put at risk by Labour’s proposal, particularly when the SNP have a vested interest in fostering division with the UK at every opportunity.”