Brexit rebellion defeated

SCOTTISH Labour’s leadership yesterday defeated a rebellion over its Brexit strategy.

Former leader Kezia Dugdale led a campaign urging the party to back full single market membership for the UK when it leaves the EU.

But delegates at the Scottish Labour conference yesterday backed a ‘unity statement’ put forward by the Scottish Executive Committee which outlined its existing approach and made no mention of single market membership.

On Saturday, Labour MP Ian Murray claimed Jeremy Corbyn’s comments about Brexit and immigration would have made Nigel Farage smile. But Labour MSP Neil Findlay said it is ‘nonsense’ to suggest Mr Corbyn is anti-immigration.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard told the BBC’s Sunday Politics Scotland: ‘I just think it is wrong to equate anything Jeremy Corbyn has said with Nigel Farage.’

Scottish Labour chairman Linda Stewart said there was a ‘clear majority’ in favour of the statement. She said: ‘We can now move forward with a clear position on Brexit.’