The first meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions should provide an opportunity to “speak frankly about the big issues facing Scotland”, the country’s First Minister has said.
Heads of devolved governments and metro mayors will gather in Edinburgh on Friday for the first meeting of the newly-minted group, to be chaired by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
He will meet John Swinney on Friday morning, before a joint meeting including the heads of the devolved administrations and a wider summit later in the day.
Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Swinney said he would stress the importance of public sector investment during his time with the Prime Minister and urge him to “stop the austerity agenda”.
“In July, I pledged to work constructively with the Prime Minister to tackle poverty, grow Scotland’s economy and support our public services,” the First Minister said.
“If we are truly serious about growing our economy and tackling poverty, we must acknowledge the barriers that prevent the Scottish Government advancing our progressive agenda.
“We know the acute pressures facing public finances and the need to grow the economy.
“This meeting should be an opportunity to speak frankly about the big issues facing Scotland – and the UK – and to discuss the action required to deliver meaningful change.
“I hope to persuade the Prime Minister of the transformative potential of public sector investment to stop the austerity agenda and attract the type of long-term financial investment required to grow our economy and advance the sectors, and the jobs, of the future.
“The Scottish Government stands ready to work in partnership to ensure we are working together to make those opportunities a reality in line with the principles of devolution.
“We have already shown that public sector investment is a force for good through the measures we have taken in Scotland.
“We must build on that progress by ensuring the UK economy becomes a vehicle for growth, one that raises living standards and finally eradicates poverty.”
Mr Swinney is also expected to push for a boost to public spending in the upcoming budget in a bid for cash to filter north of the border, tout Scotland’s economic potential, push for clarity on the Acorn carbon capture and storage facility in Aberdeenshire and the need for a reset on the relationship between the Scottish and UK governments, which was pushed to breaking point in the years the Tories spent in Downing Street.
One notable omission to the First Minister’s planned topics to raise with the Prime Minister is Scotland’s constitutional future, as Mr Swinney looks to drive up support for Scottish independence before pushing for another vote on the issue.
The summit has also been criticised by SNP politicians in Glasgow after representatives of Scotland’s local authorities were not invited to attend.
The issue was first raised this week by Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken, with SNP MSPs for the city – including two former first ministers, Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf – writing to the Prime Minister to complain.
The group said they were “disappointed that representation from the city of Glasgow is being refused, while representatives of several cities in England will attend”, adding that Glasgow “has as much right to attend as any of the English regions”.
A spokesman for the UK Government said: “We will convene leaders – including the Scottish First Minister – at the Council of the Nations and Regions which will focus on delivering growth and investment across the UK.
“There is no equivalent local government structure in Scotland to English regional mayors and we are not including council leaders from England in this forum.
“We respect devolution, so the question on whether there is further devolution to an equivalent level in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Government – that is their decision to take.”
