THE Labour-supporting leader of the UK’s biggest rail union has said that he wants to forge links with the SNP and Greens.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash made the call despite left winger Richard Leonard’s election as Scottish Labour leader.

Cash said improved links between the union and the SNP could help deliver a nationalised train service.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf is preparing a public sector bid to take over Scotland’s railways, when the contract held by Dutch firm Abellio ends.

Yousaf is reviewing a series of options that could see bodies such as Calmac Ferries, Lothian buses or the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport take over the franchise.

Cash praised SNP ministers for stopping the privatisation of Calmac and preventing the extension of driver only trains, as well as over enforcement of the minimum wage on ferries.

The RMT is reportedly considering re-affiliating to Labour after it was expelled from the party in 2004 for backing Scottish Socialist Party candidates.

But Cash, who is a Labour Party member, said improving links with the SNP could help him convince Scottish ministers to renationalise rail in Scotland.

Cash said: “Of course, our political strategies require us to be principled but that does not mean we have to be one dimensional.

"So the RMT has good campaigning relations with Green and SNP as well as Labour politicians and many socialists outside the main political parties.

"We would not be acting in the interests of our members if we did not do so.

“Under the SNP Scottish Government, the RMT has achieved some victories such as stopping the privatisation of CalMac, preventing the extension of driver-only trains and ensuring enforcement of the national minimum wage on ships of shame.

“These have been down to the industrial and political and campaigns ran by the union and, critically, the skill and determination of our Scottish activists and officers and primarily the tremendous solidarity and determination of our members who have often taken strike action.

“But we have also been able to have constructive dialogue with some SNP, Labour and Green politicians as well to help achieve our aims.

"It is objectively better to have politicians that you can have some sort of sensible conversation with and importantly you can also put pressure on.”

Cash called for co-operation between Labour, the SNP and Greens to force the UK Government to reverse rail privatisation.

He said: "The SNP, Labour and Greens need to call on the UK government to repeal the 1993 Railways Act which requires the tendering and privatization of rail passenger services."

Cash makes the remarks in the forthcoming edition of the Scottish Left Review magazine.