Sturgeon ‘the most divisive politician since Mrs Thatcher’

● Labour leader compares First Minister with Iron lady over drive for referendum ● SNP in attack on Leonard over Europe

Nicola Sturgeon has been branded the most divisive politician “since Margaret Thatcher” over her push for a second referendum on Scottish independence.

Labour leader Richard Leonard made the outspoken attack as he said he would not back a second vote on independence, which the First Minister wants to stage.

Ms Sturgeon has said she will decide later this year when to move on a second referendum as the outcome of the Brexit negotiations become clear. The pro-independence majority of SNP and Green MSPS at Holyrood voted in favour of a second referendum last year.

But the new Labour leader told BBC Sunday Politics Scotland: “That sparked a real polarisation of opinion in Scotland. I’ve never witnessed, since the days of Margaret Thatcher, a political leader that was so divisive because of that call she has made for a second referendum.

“That’s why I think the SNP have been forced to row back from it.”

The SNP revived its referendum plans following the Brex- it vote which saw a majority of Scots vote to Remain, but the weight of votes south of the Border swung the outcome in favour of Leave.

Responsibility for the constitution lies at Westminster and the UK government has indicated that it would block a second referendum on Scottish independence before the next Holyrood election in 2021.

Mr Leonard insisted that there is “no case” for a second vote just four years after the last referendum.

“The people were asked their views in 2014 and they gave a very clear answer. So I’m absolutely firm on the question of whether there should be a second independence referendum or not – there should not be. There’s no case for it.”

Both Ms Sturgeon and Alex Salmond had claimed that the 2014 referendum would be a “once in a generation” during the last campaign, the Labour leader added.

Ms Sturgeon did pledge to “reset” her referendum strategy after the SNP lost 21 Scottish seats in last year’s UK election which saw the Tories campaign heavily against the SNP’S plans to stage a second referendum.

A spokesman for the SNP said Mr Leonard has “no policy” on Europe or taxation.

“The idea that Richard Leonard needs to see how Brexit pans out before deciding on his position is utterly absurd – if an asteroid were hurtling toward the earth right now, no doubt Mr Leonard would say we need to wait and see what destruction it causes before deciding what to do about it,” the spokesman said.

“While the referendum on independence produced an outpouring of democratic debate about how we could empower ourselves to make Scotland fairer and more prosperous, the 1980s demonstrated what can happen when those powers are left in the hands of a Westminster Tory government which Scotland did not vote for. It is for Labour toexplainwhytheychoosethe latter option.”

0 Nicola Sturgeon has been accused over her call for Indyref2