The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Labour figures ‘living in fairyland’
Labour grandee Tam Dalyell has said those in the party warming to Scottish independence on the back of the Brexit vote are “living in fairyland”.
Former First Minister Henry McLeish and David Martin, who is Labour’s longest-serving MEP, are among the senior Labour figures who have said they could be converted.
Official Scottish Labour policy is to oppose a second referendum on secession until at least 2021, but leader Kezia Dugdale has been accused of softening her pro-Union stance.
Delivering his assessment of those shifting towards independence, Sir Tam said: “They are living in fairyland. I think they are wrong. McLeish and others had better realise that there is no chance of an independent Scotland being admitted into the European Union. No prime minister of Spain would allow it and nor would the Germans.”
Mr McLeish said earlier this year the party must abandon its strategy of “just saying no to independence” and advocated a “new alternative of real home rule”. Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley said last month he would not oppose a second referendum.
His boss Ms Dugdale reprimanded him on live radio yesterday saying it was “wrong” for Mr Rowley to take that stance against party policy.
Sir Tam, an MP in Scotland for 43 years and a fervent Unionist, called on MPs from all parties to block Brexit. He said the referendum result does not have to be enacted because “people were lied to and misled”.