British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office on 20 July 2026, told Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney that a new referendum on Scottish independence is not possible. The meeting took place on 23 July in Glasgow ahead of the opening of the Commonwealth Games.
Burnham stressed that holding a plebiscite would divert attention from priority tasks — growing the economy and supporting families facing the rising cost of living. According to a Downing Street spokesperson, the Prime Minister stated outright that the question of a new referendum is “off limits.”
“I’m not focused on point scoring or discussing constitutional changes like referendums,” Burnham said in a statement from the UK government. He called for a focus on “practical measures that will help people live better” across the whole country.The two sides agreed to “agree to disagree” on the issue of independence. At the same time, Burnham confirmed his willingness not to bypass the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) on further devolution of powers and to discuss issues of local government, jobs and the economy. Swinney described the talks as constructive and reiterated Scotland’s right to determine its own future.