Burnham: Links with London ‘dysfunctional’

FRUSTRATED Labour MSPs yesterday told leadership hopeful Andy Burnham the relationship between the UK and Scottish parties is ‘dysfunctional’.

On a visit to Holyrood, Mr Burnham candidly admitted it was ‘not a description I would disagree with’.

In the wake of Labour’s election rout, he said the Scottish party needs more autonomy and should be able to adopt different welfare and economic policy plans, such as a higher minimum wage.

But he made it clear to Left-wing MSPs at a group meeting that the Scottish party would not be allowed to formally oppose the renewal of the Trident nuclear missile system if he becomes leader.

Last year, Scottish Labour l eader Johann Lamont resigned and accused the UK leadership of treating the Scottish party like a ‘branch office’.

Yesterday, Mr Burnham said: ‘It’s about getting the relationship right. It was described by one MSP [at the meeting] as dysfunctional, and it’s not a description I would disagree with. So it’s about the right balance in terms of policy. We were discussing policy in relation to welfare, to the national minimum wage and how do we get the balance right in terms of what is the autonomy of people here to carry a distinctive position, whilst not undermining the position of people in the rest of the UK.’

He said the relationship between the UK and Scottish parties has ‘not been right’ since devolution.

There have been calls from some senior figures, mainly from south of the Border, for an independent Scottish Labour Party to be set up. Mr Burnham said he is not ‘instinctively’ in favour of that, but said it is an ‘option that should be considered’.

Meanwhile, Mr Burnham criticised Tony Blair’s former spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who said he would ‘happily lead the charge to replace whoever is leader’ if they fail to make an impact in the polls.

‘I don’t remember him calling for that when he was working for the leader of the Labour Party,’ Mr Burnham said.