Independence is ‘politics of yesteryear’ – Keir Starmer

The push for Scottish independence is the “politics of yesteryear”, Keir Starmer has said.

The prime minister was speaking from a press conference with President Donald Trump, who is in the UK for the first time since being re-elected.

Trump said he did not want to “get involved” in UK politics but praised Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and criticised Labour’s London mayor, Sadiq Khan.

The pair, who met at Trump’s golf course in Ayrshire before heading north to Aberdeenshire, were asked about John Swinney’s fresh push for a referendum.

Writing in the Daily Record, the first minister argued that the SNP must return a majority of MSPs in next year’s election to be able to “secure” a second vote on independence.

He said that was the “only mechanism that has been proved to deliver such a vote”, stepping away from the party’s previous position that it could start discussions about independence if it won a majority of Scottish votes in a UK general election.

Swinney wrote: “That is why I have submitted a motion to the SNP conference proposing that we work to deliver a majority of SNP MSPs in the Scottish Parliament to secure that referendum on independence.

“The SNP has high ambitions for Scotland, and we must be bold to deliver on those ambitions. We must be ready to follow the path which we know can lead us to an independent state.”

Asked for a response to this news, Starmer said the current “volatility” on the global stage proved the importance of the United Kingdom.

He said: “At a time like this, when it’s quite clear that there’s uncertainty and volatility around the world, the strength of the United Kingdom together is very important for all four nations, very important for Scotland, and that should be our priority, that should be our focus – not on the politics which feels like the politics of yesteryear now, at a time like this.

“I think that the first minister should probably focus more on his delivery in Scotland than on his constitutional issues, and we might have a better health service in Scotland.”

The president, who is also set to meet with Swinney later on Monday, said: “I don’t want to get involved in your politics, we’ve got enough politics of our own.”

He added: “I don’t know the first minister but I’ve heard great things about him, I’ve spoken to him, I hear very good things about him and I’m meeting him today – so maybe I’ll have a better opinion then.”

Trump has been in Scotland for a private visit over the weekend and is scheduled to leave on Tuesday.

His official state visit will take place in September, when he will be hosted by the King. He will not address parliament on that visit as the Commons will be in recess for party conference season, though there have been calls to recall it to allow the president to do so.

Starmer sidestepped the question of whether parliament should be recalled.

Trump said: “If he wants me to speak in parliament, I’ll do it. It doesn’t have to be then, it could be some other time. Maybe we should save it for another time – we’ll let the one visit speak for itself. But any time, if I could be helpful, I’d certainly do it.”

He also offered some advice to the prime minister on immigration, arguing his position on closing the border with Mexico won him the US election and the next UK election would be fought on this battleground too.

He praised any efforts the Labour government was making to combat the arrival of small boats in the south of England. He added: “Europe is a much different place than it was five years ago, 10 years ago, they’ve got to get their act together. If they don’t, you’re not going to have Europe anymore as you know it.”

The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza dominated the press conference.

On Russia, Trump said President Putin had “10 or 12 days” to comply with calls for a ceasefire before the US would step up its action.

He warned Russia would face sanctions and tariffs if it did not agree to end the conflict, expressing frustration that a ceasefire had previously seemed close following talks but have not ultimately been delivered.

On Gaza, he confirmed the US would provide extra humanitarian support – including making food deliveries – in a bid to avoid mass starvation in the region.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied the cris, insisting there was “no starvation”. Asked whether he agreed, Trump said “not particularly” because TV reports showed “children [who] look very hungry”.