Confusion in Labour ranks as Corbyn signals backing for indyref2
LABOUR was in disarray over independence last night after Jeremy Corbyn said it was “absolutely fine” for another referendum to be held.
The move puts him at odds with both Scottish leader Kezia Dugdale and his own deputy Tom Watson.
The controls over any second independence poll lie at Westminster and would need to be devolved to Scotland with a vote in the Commons.
The Sunday Post interviewed Mr Watson two weeks ago and asked if he would vote against a second indyref at Westminster.
He said: “Yes, I think that it was settled in the referendum.”
But Mr Corbyn, speaking at a Labour economic conference in Glasgow yesterday, said: “I don’t think it’s the job of Westminster or
the Labour Party to prevent people holding referenda.”
The Labour leader then made clear that if there were a vote in the Commons on whether Scotland should have another referendum, his party “wouldn’t block it”.
When asked if another vote appeared inevitable given the gulf between Nicola Sturgeon and Theresa May over Brexit, he said: “If a referendum is held then it is absolutely fine, it should be held.”
Scottish Labour sources said their stance on the transfer of power – known as Section 30 – would only be clear once the full picture, in terms of the timing of the poll and its wording, was revealed.
One senior party figure said: “We respect the pro-Yes majority of the Chamber but any talk of a deal on a second referendum is highly premature as there would need to be lengthy negotiations around the timing and the question on the ballot paper, given the Remain/ Leave precedent set in the EU referendum.”
Another source described Corbyn’s intervention as “extremely unhelpful”.