Starmer’s first stop was Edinburgh, where he was scheduled to meet Scotland’s First Minister and Scottish National Party (SNP) leader, John Swinney. His visit to Cardiff and Belfast was anticipated for the following day.

The meeting took place following a significant electoral victory for Starmer’s Labour Party, which unseated the Conservative Party led by Rishi Sunak and also disrupted the SNP’s long standing dominance in Scotland by securing the majority of the region’s 57 seats. The SNP, in contrast, faced a disappointing outcome, winning only nine seats instead of the targeted 29, which would have bolstered their mandate for a new independence referendum negotiation with the UK government.

Labour, under former Prime Minister Tony Blair, initiated the devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in the late 1990s by establishing their respective parliaments or assemblies. However, complaints from the regions about being marginalised under Conservative leadership have persisted.

Starmer emphasised his commitment to transforming disagreements into productive collaborations, ensuring meaningful participation and respect for all parties involved in driving UK-wide changes.

“The journey starts today with an immediate reset of my government’s approach to collaborating with the first and deputy first ministers,” Starmer affirmed. He highlighted that fostering genuine cooperation centred on mutual respect would be pivotal in delivering positive transformations across the United Kingdom.

The devolved administrations wield authority over areas such as education and housing, while issues concerning national defence, international relations, and the monarchy fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the UK Parliament in Westminster.

John Swinney expressed optimism about future discussions focused on shared priorities, including tackling child poverty, fostering economic growth, achieving net-zero emissions goals, and enhancing public services.

In recent UK elections, the SNP had been dominant in Scotland, reaching a peak in 2015 with 56 out of 59 seats. However, voter fatigue with the party’s prolonged rule over the Scottish parliament and criticism of its prioritisation of independence over pressing domestic concerns like cost-of-living, education, and healthcare have eroded its support.

Additionally, the SNP faced internal turmoil due to a financial scandal involving Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, who was charged with embezzlement during his tenure as the party’s chief executive. Although Sturgeon herself was briefly arrested in connection with the case, she was released without charges.

Starmer’s international debut as Labour leader will occur next week at a NATO summit in Washington, underscoring the UK’s commitment to global security. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister David Lammy embarked on his inaugural trip to Berlin to meet with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, focusing on enhancing NATO support for Ukraine and addressing Middle Eastern issues.

Earlier on Sunday, former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair advised Starmer to develop a comprehensive strategy for immigration control amid challenges posed by the Reform UK Party and ongoing debates surrounding digital ID implementation, an idea subsequently ruled out by Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds. AFP