Tory MP John Cooper has written to Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn to ask him to look into a potential breach of both the Windsor Framework and the Good Friday Agreement
First Minister John Swinney speaks to the media at Iveagh House in Dublin during his visit(Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
John Swinney is facing an inquiry after claims he breached two international agreements by holding “secret talks” on the constitution with two Irish politicians.
Furious Scottish Conservative MP John Cooper has written to Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn to complain in the strongest terms about the First Minister‘s taxpayer-funded visit to Dublin last November.
As well as meeting the new Irish President Catherine Connolly, he also had talks with Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. She later confirmed they had discussed “constitutional change” – which would be a breach of both the post-Brexit Windsor Framework and the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland.
Mr Cooper, who has raised the issue in the House of Commons, attempted to find out more details with a freedom of information request to the Scottish Government but the response was “heavily redacted”. He was also informed by the FCDO that no UK Government officials were present.
In his letter to Mr Benn, the Dumfries and Galloway MP asks: “Given we know the constitutional aims of both the Scottish National Party and Sinn Fein are the shattering of the United Kingdom by the removal of both Scotland and Northern Ireland from Britain are you – like me – deeply concerned that:
- Secret talks have taken place between the leader of a devolved administration and the leader of a foreign party, in a foreign country.
- The British Government facilitated this meeting, but is – incredibly – unsighted on what was discussed.
- There is a prima facie case that Mr Swinney was operating in excess of his remit on trade and cultural promotion and was improperly discussing external affairs, reserved to Westminster.
- That British Civil Servants were suborned into facilitating this improper meeting.
- That the British taxpayer footed the bill for this trip when it ought to have been paid by the relevant political parties.”
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with SNP leader and Scottish First Minister John Swinney in Dublin in November(Image: X/@MaryLouMcDonald)
He goes on to ask Mr Benn “what steps you might take to re-establish the primacy of the British Government on foreign policy and Anglo-Irish relations” and calls for him to recover the costs for the public purse. Under the Conservatives, there was a crackdown on SNP ministers discussing Scexit with foreign politicians – but insiders fear the Labour Government has taken their eye off the ball.
In a tweet after the visit, Ms McDonald said: “Great to welcome [John Swinney] to Dublin. The huge economic benefits & opportunities that constitutional change offers Scotland & Ireland are enormous. We are both on journeys beyond the old limits of Westminster control. Our long affinity as neighbours, friends, Celts continues!”
As we previously revealed, Mr Swinney also discussed Scottish independence with hard-left politician Ms Connolly – whose office wrongly described the First Minister as the “foreign head of a Government”.
The Scottish Government confirmed in a separate FOI response to the Scots Tories: “The answer to your question is: this was not discussed as a standalone agenda item, but raised in passing in relation to broader Irish-Scottish relations.”
Dumfries and Galloway MP John Cooper speaking in the Commons(Image: John Cooper Facebook)
Speaking to the Express, Mr Cooper said: “The Sinn Fein leader’s tweet makes it clear that John Swinney completely overstepped the mark by discussing the pair’s shared goal of breaking up the UK. This is completely unacceptable. John Swinney knows that the constitution is a matter reserved to Westminster, and that he has no authority to push his Scottish independence obsession with an overseas politician.
“Hard-working Scots, who are seeing their bills soar and public services crumble on the SNP’s watch, expect their First Minister to focus on the day job instead of charging them for his partisan political stunts.”
Ms Connolly, an independent, has previously been slated for criticising Nato for provoking the Ukraine War and being allegedly pro-Russia. She said last year that “Nato has played a despicable role in moving forward to the border and engaging in warmongering”.
She also visited Syria in 2018 when it was ruled by Bashar Assad and met with a pro-Assad militia campaigner. She has called Israel a terrorist state and said Hamas was “part of the fabric of the Palestinian people”.
John Swinney and Catherine Connolly(Image: )
During their meeting. the First Minister said he agreed with her international views: “Finally, I know we share a commitment to peace, equality and international solidarity. These values guide our work at home and abroad, and I look forward to standing together on issues that matter globally.”
Mr Swinney flew over to Dublin on November 26 where he also met with the Taoiseach Michael Martin and Irish Foreign Minister Neale Richmond. The cost of the trip will be published in a few months in the ministerial travel register.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland and Ireland have longstanding ties, and the First Minister was proud to be the first head of government to meet President Connolly after her election.”
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