FIRST Minister John Swinney has slammed the Prime Minister's decision to offer Anas Sarwar a seat in the Lords and a job in the UK Government.
The Scottish Labour leader, who was re-elected as an MSP in May after ruling out ever joining the House of Lords, is now due to accept a life peerage and join Andy Burnham’s ministerial team, reportedly in the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.
Swinney told BBC Radio Scotland's breakfast show that the appointment was a “very, very strange way” for the new Prime Minister to try to rebuild confidence in politics, but said he wishes Sarwar well for his "exciting new job".
“I think it is a terrible look for Andy Burnham," he added.
Swinney explained his thinking, saying the appointment appears to go against Burnham's campaign strategy.
“The new Prime Minister has made a great play of essentially improving people’s perceptions of politics and politicians, and to make one of his first decisions a decision to take the Labour leader in Scotland, who has just led the Labour Party to their worst result in the history of the Scottish Parliament elections, and give him a job for life in the House of Lords and a job in the UK Government, is in my view a very, very strange way of trying to rebuild confidence of the public in politics," he said.
Speaking to the Press Association later on Wednesday, Swinney said the appointment of Sarwar as an unelected Lord and UK minister will “exacerbate” mistrust in the political system.
“I think what it demonstrates is an appalling level of judgement by Anas Sarwar,” he said.
“He said before the [Holyrood] election he had absolutely no interest in going to the House of Lords, he only wanted to be first minister of Scotland.
“Then, after the election, Anas Sarwar has accepted a place in the House of Lords – a body, by the way, he wants to abolish.
“That is an incredible level of hypocrisy and it just illustrates what I think the Prime Minister is trying to address, which is the fact that politicians say one thing one minute and then do another thing the next minute, when it suits them.
“That, I thought, was what Andy Burnham was trying to address and to solve.
“But instead, Andy Burnham has exacerbated that sentiment within our society.”
Dave Doogan, the SNP’s new Westminster leader, has also made a statement blasting the decision, labelling Burnham as “tone deaf” in giving Sarwar a path to join “the familiar Westminster Lords safe haven for failed Scottish Unionist politicians”.
He said: “Andy Burnham’s decision is astonishingly tone deaf. As Anas Sarwar walks out of Holyrood, he slams the door on Scotland and the people he was elected to represent. In doing so, he joins the familiar Westminster Lords safe haven for failed Scottish Unionist politicians who were unable to convince the electorate at home.
“Let’s not forget the record he leaves behind. Sarwar exits as Scottish Labour’s worst-performing leader, ending with just 17 MSPs and failing to win over Scottish voters. If ever there were a masterclass in failing upwards, this is it. On this trajectory, two more electoral cycles would see Labour wiped out in Scotland.
“What makes this all the more extraordinary is that only a couple of months ago he was insisting his sole focus was becoming First Minister and that he had no interest in a seat in the House of Lords. Yet at the first opportunity, he seems ready to swap Holyrood for a comfy seat in Westminster’s unelected chamber.
“Andy Burnham promised a different kind of politics: one that would challenge Westminster’s old ways and put power closer to the people. Instead, this looks like more of the same. Scottish voters rejected Anas Sarwar’s leadership, yet rather than facing that verdict, his failure is being rewarded with a ministerial role and a lifetime seat in the Lords.
"At a time when trust in politics is already fragile, elevating electoral failure to the House of Lords sends entirely the wrong message. It reinforces the view that, while Scottish voters deliver the verdict, the cosy UK Labour political establishment always looks after its own.”
Swinney has already spoken with Burnham in a phone call on Monday night, where the pair discussed shared matters like the cost of living and energy, as well as the prospect of a second independence referendum.
It is understood that Burnham rejected Swinney's request, with the new Prime Minister saying they will have "to agree to disagree” on the issues of independence and a second referendum.
But the First Minister said: “It’s not really a surprise to me the Prime Minister doesn’t agree with me on Scottish independence.”
Swinney added however that he had had a “constructive and positive” discussion “about the devolution of greater responsibilities to Scotland” with the Labour leader.
The First Minister stated: “What the Prime Minister said to me yesterday, which is really significant, is that he is in favour of the devolution of more powers and responsibilities, but he is not going to do that in a fashion which bypasses the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government.
“That’s a really significant commitment the Prime Minister gave me.”
Speaking about Burnham, he continued: “We had an introductory call yesterday and we will have more conversations.
"The tone of the discussion was constructive and positive about the devolution of greater responsibilities to Scotland.
“The Prime Minister assured me that would not be done in a fashion that bypassed the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government.
“I take significant assurance from that that there is going to be no undermining of the democratically agreed devolved settlement.
“There’s got to be respect for the devolved settlement in Scotland, that’s what I look forward to advancing with the Prime Minister.”
That comes despite Swinney saying the relationship between the Scottish Government and the Scotland Office had “haemorrhaged” when Douglas Alexander was appointed Scottish Secretary in September last year.
Alexander was kept in the key position by Burnham when he set out his Cabinet team after moving into Downing Street on Monday.
“There was a deterioration in relationships between the Scottish Government and the United Kingdom Government when Douglas Alexander was appointed as Secretary of State for Scotland,” Swinney said.
While he said Holyrood ministers had had a “pretty constructive relationship” with the Scotland Office when Ian Murray was in the post, the First Minister added: “That pretty much haemorrhaged with Douglas Alexander’s arrival.”
While he said relations had “soured significantly”, Swinney said the PM had assured him he wants a “collaborative relationship” relationship with Scotland.
The SNP leader added: “I take that at face value and I hope that that is reflected in the approach that is taken by the Secretary of State for Scotland.”
