LABOUR’S CIVIL WAR BLOWS UP

Jeremy Corbyn accused by MSPs of ‘undermining’ Scottish party

SCOTTISH Labour descended into chaos last night as MSPs openly challenged Jeremy Corbyn over a second independence referendum amid a growing civil war within the party.

In an extraordinary attack, they warned the UK Labour leader they would not accept a change in policy over another vote on Scotland’s future – and accused him of trying to ‘undermine’ the Scottish party.

Jackie Baillie, chairman of the Labour group at Holyrood, yesterday published a statement claiming a majority of Labour MSPs ‘deplore’ comments made by John McDonnell this week.

The Shadow Chancellor sparked fury within the Scottish party after saying a Labour government would grant the SNP an independence referendum if MSPs supported one. He claimed this was also the position of Mr Corbyn.

This is despite Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard previously saying that a Labour government would block any bid for a second vote.

Miss Baillie said the majority of Scottish Labour’s 23 MSPs supported this position.

But it later emerged that Mr Leonard had not agreed with the statement. Lothian MSP Neil Findlay criticised Miss Baillie for issuing it and claimed she was ‘abusing’ her position.

Miss Baillie’s statement exposes the depth of divisions in the party. She said: ‘We are clear Labour’s position on Scotland’s future is a decision for Scottish Labour, which the UK party must accept. The SPLP [Scottish Parliamentary Labour Party] support the stance taken by Richard Leonard as our leader and back the policy position he outlined.

‘We deplore any attempts to undermine the official policy position of the Scottish Labour Party and we express serious concerns about an apparent change in Labour’s position on a matter of vital importance to the future of Scotland and of the Scottish Labour Party itself.’

Miss Baillie called on Mr Corbyn to urgently engage with the group on the issue of a second independence referendum.

But within minutes of the statement being published, Mr Findlay denied any part in it – as a leaked email from Miss Baillie to MSPs revealed Mr Leonard had also refused to back the move.

Mr Findlay posted on Twitter: ‘I want to make it clear I did not support this statement going out and neither did many other members of the Labour group – this is an abuse of position by the chair of the group.’

His attack on Miss Baillie included a link to an online article, with an email sent by the Dumbarton MSP to colleagues before she published the letter.

In it, she reveals she had consulted Mr Leonard but that ‘it is fair to say that he does not want the statement to go out’.

She added: ‘Let me stress again the group executive wanted to be very clear in our support for Richard’s position.’

The row broke out after Mr McDonnell admitted a Labour government would not block a second independence referendum. He made the comments at a Fringe event in Edinburgh on Tuesday and reiterated his position the next day. His position contradicted Scottish Labour policy, with Edinburgh Labour MP Ian Murray branding the comments ‘utterly irresponsible’.

Last night, a Scottish Labour spokesman said: ‘Richard Leonard continues to engage constructively with the leadership of the UK Labour Party.

‘Scotland needs radical, reforming Labour governments, not more constitutional division. The solution to the challenges facing our country will not be found in referendums on independence but with Labour governments in London and Edinburgh.’

But Scottish Tory chief whip Maurice Golden said: ‘Labour are selling Scotland down the river. It’s obvious the price the Labour Party is willing to pay to secure Jeremy Corbyn in Number 10 is Scottish Labour. Thousands of Scottish Labour voters have been betrayed.’

‘Thousands of voters have been betrayed’