Populists will hate it but Starmer's willingness to work with Tory is hugely welcome

In the US, bipartisan work by Republicans and Democrats has long been a feature of their politics, something threatened by Trumpian populism, in which political opponents are viewed as enemies. The constant feuding between the SNP and recent Conservative governments showed the UK has its populist tendencies too.

Long-term planning

Bipartisanship may not win many party political points but, while it’s sometimes difficult to tell, that’s not actually the job of government. Running an administration as simply a continuation of an election campaign should be regarded as a dereliction of duty.

The prisons crisis is one of several that have been allowed to fester for too long. The NHS has been steadily decaying for years and will take many more to fix, while efforts to create a net-zero economy fit for the 21st century necessarily require long-term planning that goes beyond five-year election cycles.

All three issues would benefit from a degree of cross-party agreement. Less intensely political matters, such as the greater use of technologies like AI by the NHS, seem ripe for a collaborative approach.

Lazy and childish

Cross-party working between the Scottish and UK governments is particularly important, especially over the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry, and efforts to create a world-leading renewables sector. We hope that positive words from both Labour and the SNP on that score will lead to a fruitful, grown-up relationship.

As voters, we cannot accept lazy and childish populist tactics that seek to reduce politics to a ‘culture war’ fought between opposing teams of ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’. Those willing to collaborate across party lines are demonstrating a seriousness that this country desperately needs if its many problems are to be fixed, and they should be praised for it.