Keir Starmer and John Swinney will hold talks in Edinburgh on Friday amid calls for the UK Government to invest more in the Scottish economy. The Labour Prime Minister and SNP First Minister will meet privately in the capital before they both attend the Council of Nations and Regions summit.
Speaking ahead of his meeting with the UK Labour leader, Swinney said: "In July, I pledged to work constructively with the Prime Minister to tackle poverty, grow Scotland’s economy and support our public services. 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.
"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 SNP council leader of Glasgow previously hit out at the UK Government for not inviting her to attend the Council of Nations and Regions summit. Susan Aitken accused the Prime Minister of "shutting the door" on Scotland's largest following the news that no local authority leaders from north of the Border would be invited.