7 Labour hopefuls warm to indy vote
SEVEN Scottish Labour candidates have said they are sympathetic to a second referendum being held if there is a pro-independence majority at Holyrood.
Leader Anas Sarwar was yesterday accused of ‘sitting on the fence’ over the break-up of the UK with a number of his candidates open to another divisive vote.
Appearing on television yesterday, Mr Sarwar was challenged over his insistence that Scottish Labour is opposed to a second referendum.
In March, the party dropped Glasgow Kelvin candidate Hollie Cameron after she told the Sunday National newspaper that a second vote on Scottish independence should take place in the next parliamentary term.
The statement was at odds with the stance of Mr Sarwar, who has insisted Holyrood must be focused on Covid recovery.
On Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Mr Sarwar was presented with comments from a series of candidates.
It has emerged that in recent months – before the election campaign – at least seven have raised the prospect of another referendum.
They include Dundee City West candidate Mercedes Villalba. Writing on Twitter in January, she said: ‘If we’re truly not content with the status quo, hadn’t we better call for a referendum to put our alternative to the people?’
In November, Edinburgh Central candidate Maddy Kirkman said she supported Holyrood having the powers to hold a vote on independence. Responding to a question on Twitter, she said she had ‘pushed’ within the party for the right to call a referendum to sit with the Scottish parliament.
During the same month, Rutherglen candidate Martin Lennon said: ‘Most people in Scotland now support independence. Most people support a referendum.’
Writing on Twitter in October, Edinburgh Northern and Leith candidate Katrina Faccenda said she believed the power to call a referendum should be ‘resting with the Scottish parliament’, while Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley candidate Kevin McGregor claimed in 2019 that a pro-independence majority in Holyrood would be enough for a referendum.
He said: ‘If the indy-supporting parties have a parliamentary majority we might not like it, we might not support it, but it is their right to move for a referendum.’
Lothian candidate Nick Ward and Dundee City East candidate Owen Wright have also expressed support for another vote.
Asked about the tweets on television, Mr Sarwar said: ‘We do not support independence, we don’t support a referendum, we believe the next parliament should be focused entirely on having a national recovery and putting our country back together.’
Scottish Conservative candidate Annie Wells said: ‘Labour are still determined to sit on the fence over another referendum. They can’t be trusted to oppose Indyref 2.’
Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: ‘This is desperate stuff from a Tory party in crisis. Scottish Labour is unequivocal in its opposition to a second referendum.’
‘Truly not content with status quo’