‘Let’s keep our feet on the ground’ over Labour-SNP coalition talk, says Swinney

The First Minister has urged people to keep their “feet on the ground” over a potential SNP-Labour coalition after the next election.

At the weekend, a poll was released by Survation for the Holyrood Sources podcast and True North which asked 1,024 Scots between January 7 and 13 which type of coalition deal they would most like to see after next year’s vote.

The most popular was between John Swinney and Anas Sarwar’s parties, with 33% supporting such a move, compared to 31% for the SNP and the Greens, and 26% for an SNP-Liberal Democrat pact.

Recent polls have suggested Labour and the SNP could be the two largest parties at Holyrood after next May’s vote, meaning a coalition would likely be difficult for opposition parties to stop.

But the chances of a deal look thin given the difference between the SNP and Labour on a variety of topics, including Scottish independence.

Asked by journalists on Wednesday about the prospect of a deal, the First Minister said: “I’m all for bringing people together, but let’s keep our feet on the ground.

“In all these things I think I’m just best to leave it to the public to come to their conclusions in the 2026 elections and we’ll see what we get afterwards.”

Mr Sarwar has previously poured cold water on the idea of a coalition with any party following next year’s vote, preferring instead to attempt to rule as a minority administration if Labour becomes the largest party.

Speaking in August, Mr Sarwar said: “There will be no coalitions. We are going to go for a minority Labour government.

“I think one of the things that devolution was meant to be was not one party pretending they had a monopoly on everything, a monopoly on the Parliament or a monopoly on ideas.

“It was meant to be about trying to pull together the best parts of Scotland and come up with a package of reform and delivery that delivers for every part of the country.

“So, we are going to go flat-out to win the election, but my intention is to hopefully come out of that election to form a minority government and I hope to have a Labour first minister.”