Corbyn comes under fire on Scots trip

Stance on indyref raises hackles, while church minister hurls ‘Islamic jihad scarf’ taunts

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn touched down in Scotland for the first time this general election campaign, and was immediately met with questions on Scottish independence.

Mr Corbyn, who is set to appear in Dundee today, told reporters there would be “no referendum in the first term for a Labour Government” even if the SNP won a majority of Scottish seats in the upcoming general election.

However, aides immediately said the position could change if Nicola Sturgeon’s party wins control of Holyrood in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

Hours later, in a combative exchange with reporters, Mr Corbyn instead said he did “not countenance” another independence referendum in “the early years” of a Labour government.

Pressed on whether he would grant a vote if the SNP took Holyrood, Mr Corbyn replied: “I’m not in favour of it at all because I think the priorities for Scotland are ending inequality, poverty and injustice across Scotland, and independence will bring with it an economic problem for Scotland.”

The embattled leader was also heckled by a Church of Scotland minister, Rev Richard Cameron of Scotstoun Parish Church, who shouted: “I thought you’d be wearing your Islamic jihad scarf.

“Do you think that the man who is going to be prime minister of this country should be a terrorist sympathiser, Mr Corbyn?

“Who’s going to be the first terrorist invited to the House of Commons when you’re prime minister?”

Mr Corbyn did not react, and was ushered into the community centre by Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard.

Questions were then raised about the Rev Cameron’s language, and old social media posts which were allegedly homophobic.

A spokesperson for the Kirk said: “There has been significant concern raised about the comments made by Rev Richard Cameron and his social media use.

“At this stage all we can say is there is a formal complaints process and any complaints we receive in relation to this matter will be taken seriously and addressed.

“We do deplore any comments which are Islamophobic or homophobic.

“The Church of Scotland works closely with our Islamic neighbours, and the General Assembly has taken a strong position and said formally we decry homophobia in any form.”

Labour’s plans to transition from oil and gas will be the “polar opposite” of the Conservative move away from coal in the 1980s, Richard Leonard said.

At a miners’ welfare club in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, the party’s Scottish leader said the “green industrial revolution” being touted by Labour will be “by consent”.

Stephen Kerr, Scottish Conservative candidate for Stirling said: “On the biggest issue in Scotland, the future of the Union, Jeremy Corbyn is in complete disarray. Barely before he’d finished speaking he was being ‘clarified’ by his aides. The only thing that’s clear is that he simply cannot be trusted to back Scotland’s place in the UK.”

Westminster SNP leader Ian Blackford said: “The SNP are campaigning hard to give voters in Scotland the chance to escape Brexit and take our future into our own hands.

“By contrast, Labour’s flimsy Brexit position is clear as mud, and Jeremy Corbyn is every bit as guilty as Tories of completely ignoring Scotland’s Remain vote over the last few years.

“However Mr Corbyn chooses to dress it up, there is no such thing as a good Brexit for Scotland or for the UK; it will damage our economy, Scottish jobs and public services such as our NHS.

“Labour have paid a heavy price in Scotland for entering into constitutional alliances with the Tories over the last few years and, with the latest polls putting them a distant fourth in Scotland in this election, it’s clear that voters do not trust Jeremy Corbyn on Brexit.

“It would be unforgivable if Jeremy Corbyn’s dithering resulted in Scotland being dragged out of the EU against our will.

“So while he is in Scotland he needs to tell voters: Will you respect their overwhelming vote to remain in the EU, or will you ignore the people of Scotland and side with Boris Johnson’s Tory Party?”