UK Labour leader clashes with Scottish leader on issue of independence vote
A SECOND independence referendum “should be held”, according to the UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Speaking in an interview to the Press Association, Corbyn stated that he would be “fine” with a second poll on the question of Scottish independence.
The comments place him at odds with several of his Scottish Labour counterparts such as Kezia Dugdale who have said that they would oppose attempts to hold a Scottish referendum as well as a Yes vote.
He also confirmed that the UK Labour party would not block a vote on a second referendum in the House of Commons.
“If a referendum is held then it is absolutely fine, it should be held.” Jeremy Corbyn
Corbyn said: “If a referendum is held then it is absolutely fine, it should be held. I don’t think it’s the job of Westminster or the Labour Party to prevent people holding referenda.”
The comments were made as Labour party members gathered at an economic forum in Glasgow to discuss new ideas of how to spread their economic message beynd their traditional voting base.
However Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has made clear her opposition to another ballot on the issue being held, with Scots having voted to stay in the UK by 55 per cent to 45 per cent in September 2014.
At the Scottish Labour party conference in Perth, she had emphasised that she did not think a second vote would happen and she would under “no circumstances” ever support the case for Scottish independence.
On the issue of devolving more power from Westminster and making the case for federalism in the UK he added: “I do think we should set it within the context of the economic relationship with the rest of the UK and the question of devolution of EU to English regions and to Scotland, and to parts of Scotland rather than just to the government in Holyrood, because the principle of regionalism is it goes to everybody within a region, not just to the central powers and the SNP have a bit of a tendency to centralise things arounds themselves.”
”It’s embarrassing that Lib Dem and Labour in Holyrood want to deny Scotland the opportunity to avoid a damaging hard Tory Brexit while Corbyn and Clegg agree.” Stuart McMillan MSP
Corbyn has suffered a set of bad polling results with the recent numbers showing his party behind the UK Tories by an average of 18 points. Scottish Labour for their part are trailing the SNP on 15 points as the local elections in May approach.
In response to Corbyn’s comment, deputy convener of Holyrood’s delegated powers committee, Stuart McMillan MSP said: “Scotland voted clearly and decisively to remain in the EU: not for an economically disastrous Tory hard Brexit outside the Single Market, and yet Lib Dem and Labour MSPs will happily sit on their hands and let that happen.
”It’s embarrassing that Lib Dem and Labour in Holyrood want to deny Scotland the opportunity to avoid a damaging hard Tory Brexit while Corbyn and Clegg agree that it would be wrong to block Scotland having a choice on our future if that is what is needed.”
Picture courtesy of Garry Knight
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