The SNP has said voters would be forgiven for thinking the Westminster parties have already given up on the Holyrood election as another week of chaos unfolded across Labour, Conservative and Reform ranks.
The party said the growing disorder has sharpened the contrast with Scotland’s devolved government, arguing that only John Swinney is offering stability, strength and focus on the priorities of the Scottish people.
The intervention follows a turbulent week in which senior Labour figures were briefing that Wes Streeting should be sacked for disloyalty, highlighting deep internal divisions within the party.
UK Labour leader Keir Starmer briefly travelled to Scotland as a new poll showed Labour plunging to 16 per cent, with his personal popularity reported at minus 46.
The visit came despite Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar having publicly urged him to stay away, saying only last week that the best thing the UK Labour government could do was remain behind closed doors.
On the same weekend, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch moved to sack Robert Jenrick as his defection to Reform appeared inevitable.
Reform UK also drew criticism after Nigel Farage appointed an unelected multi millionaire Lord to lead the party in Scotland.
Scottish Labour faced further controversy after being caught fabricating a quote praising Anas Sarwar and attributing it to a health campaigner, who later said, “If they’ve written that out of nowhere, what else have they lied about?”
Additional scrutiny followed revelations that Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan Glancy maintained a close friendship with paedophile Sean Morton even after he reoffended and was jailed again last year.
Meanwhile, Lord Offord’s first press briefing as a Scottish Reform figure descended into chaos after party press officers physically intervened to stop a journalist asking legitimate questions.
The SNP contrasted that turmoil with what it described as a week of delivery under John Swinney’s leadership, including a Scottish Budget that provided record funding for the NHS and what the party says is the strongest cost of living package in the UK.
The comments come as the first poll of 2026 suggests the SNP remains ahead in the Holyrood race, with Westminster parties battling for second place.
Polling carried out for True North by Survation found 34 per cent of voters backing the SNP, with Reform on 19 per cent and Labour slipping to 16 per cent.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said:
“After another week of chaos from the Westminster parties, people would be forgiven for thinking that they have already given up on the Holyrood election.
“This week’s Scottish day trip by Westminster’s leaders gave perfect insight into the shambles they have all become, chaos is the permanent pattern in Westminster these days and every day that chaos continues it damages Scotland.
“That Westminster chaos comes with a real cost, Scotland and our people are forever an afterthought as the Westminster parties fight amongst themselves and fight amongst each other.
“The Labour Party are in crisis, the Tories are in crisis and Nigel Farage is literally Lording it.
“For Scotland, the contrast couldn’t be clearer, only the SNP under John Swinney’s trusted leadership will stand up for Scotland and focus on the priorities of our people.
“That stability, strength and support allowed the delivery of a budget this week which resulted in record funding for our NHS, more wraparound childcare for families, free breakfast clubs in every primary school and 55 per cent of our people paying less income tax because they live in Scotland.
“From now until election day, the SNP will stay focused on those real priorities and offer our people the hope of a fresh start with independence.
“While we get on with that job, we’ll happily leave the chaotic Westminster parties to fight it out amongst themselves.”
