Labour under pressure over ‘wait and see’ strategy for Indyref2

SIR Keir Starmer has been accused of “cosying up to the SNP” after suggesting Labour will “assess the situation” after the election before deciding whether to back another independence referendum.

The UK Labour leader made the comments on a visit to Edinburgh yesterday when he demanded a recovery plan is drawn up and more government funding made available for the aviation industry.

The Conservatives seized on

Sir Keir’s remarks failing to rule out another referendum taking place even if another pro-independence majority is returned to Holyrood.

Sir Keir arrived in Scotland as a new poll from Yougov revealed UK support for Labour has dropped to the lowest level since he became leader of the party – with the Conservatives opening up a 14-point lead.

During the visit, Sir Keir was asked whether his party will support another referendum being held if Holyrood returns another pro-independence majority following May’s election.

Speaking to Forth One, he said:

“Obviously we’ll have to assess the situation afterwards, but I honestly think that in the middle of a pandemic, saying that the first priority must be to have a referendum which is going to divide Scotland just when Scotland needs and wants to unite, I just think it’s the wrong priority.

“That’s what I feel, that’s what Anas feels.”

The UK Labour leader accused the SNP and Conservatives of “playing cheap games” with the constitution, insisting his party is “focused on a national recovery”.

Sir Keir also praised Mr Sarwar, who has been in post as Scottish Labour leader for just over six weeks.

He said: “He’s certainly got the qualities to be first minister, you can see that on display every day.

“He’s taking the argument to his opponents, he’s making the case for Scotland and, frankly, he has got the focus that other politicians haven’t got – which is on the recovery in the middle of a pandemic.”

But the Scottish Conservatives have jumped on Sir Keir’s comments on an independence referendum and his

This is more proof that Labour cannot be trusted to stand up to the SNP

refusal to categorically rule out a repeat of the 2014 vote.

Scottish Conservative candidate for Glasgow, Annie Wells, said: “In the last 48 hours, both the UK and Scottish Labour leaders have refused to clearly say no, there shouldn’t be another referendum.

“Keir Starmer has again refused to rule out stopping another divisive independence referendum.”

She added: “When Nicola Sturgeon demands indyref2, and she absolutely will if she wins a majority, it looks like Labour will back down.

“This is more proof that Labour cannot be trusted to stand up to the SNP and stop another referendum. They are more interested in cosying up to the SNP than opposing them.”

Sir Keir’s vague response emerged as another poll revealed 60 per cent of the party’s supporters across the UK back another Scottish independence referendum “in principle” taking place in the next five years.

The Yougov study also found 56% of UK Labour supporters think the party should officially back a repeat of the 2014 poll taking place – but the view is not shared by the party’s activists north of the Border.

The survey found that while Labour supporters in the rest of the UK back another referendum taking place, only 31% of those in Scotland share the sentiment. But the weighted sample in Scotland for the poll was just 43 people.

Yesterday, the two Labour leaders met Edinburgh Airport’s chief executive Gordon Dewar on the election campaign trail.

Mr Dewar, who has consistently criticised Nicola Sturgeon’s handling of the pandemic, said the Scottish Government had failed to provide any plan for how international travel could resume when conditions allow.

Sir Keir said airport executives had stressed the need for a plan on how air travel could resume, while insisting aviation would be crucial to the economic recovery.

He said: “What they are most concerned about is that there needs to be a plan for the future, the uncertainty is having a huge effect on the airport, on those employed at the airport and everybody associated with it.

“So there needs to be a plan for the recovery.”