Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has emphatically ruled out any potential deal with the Scottish National Party at local or national level.
Sir Keir’s comments come after the leader of Glasgow City Council, Susan Aitken said she would be open to negotiating a deal with Labour.
But speaking during a visit to Glasgow with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar on Tuesday, Sir Keir quashed any potential deal with SNP.
Sir Keir told journalists: “No coalition.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has ruled out any deals with the SNP
James Manning
Sir Keir alongside Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar
John Linton
“No coalition between Labour and the SNP at the local level, at the national level.
“Let me be absolutely clear, no deal going into the general election – I say that now, possibly a year or two out from the general election – and no deal on the other side of the general election.
“I could not be clearer about this and I hope that nobody has missed my very clear message on this – no deal into a general election, no deal out of a general election, full stop.”
While Mr Sarwar added: “The whole point is that we want Susan Aitken out of the leader’s office in the city chambers, not to keep her in.
“She’s a disaster for Glasgow, the SNP are a disaster for Glasgow and we want to boot them out.”
Ms Aitken said on Monday: “Anas Sarwar has said Labour won’t do any deals with the SNP. I think that is very foolish I’ve got to say.
“There are some pretty well functioning SNP and Labour administrations, Edinburgh, East Renfrewshire, Stirling, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife. There’s quite a few of them.
“If our Labour colleagues were up for something constructive, mature conversations about how we move forward for the good of the city, then we would be happy to have those conversations with them too. Whether they are in that space or not, I’m not sure. It’s up to them.”