The Scotsman

Starmer: ‘No-one in Labour wants to see UK break up’

- By TOM EDEN

Sir Keir St armer has reiterated that Labour will campaign against a second Scottish independen­ce referendum in the buildup to next year’s Holyrood elections.

The Labour leader argued there is “no need” for another vote on Scottish independen­ce but side stepped a question about whether he would ever stand in the way of a vote to break up the UK.

Sir Keir was asked about comments by Welsh Labour leader Mark Drake ford, who said that it would be up to the people of Wales or Scotland to decide whether there should bean in dependence referendum.

Speaking on LB C radio, he suggested that “no-one in the Labour Party wants the United Kingdom broken up” and the coronaviru­s pandemic has demonstrat­ed the value of the Union.

“I strongly support the United Kingdom, I think it’s in all of our interest to hold together the United Kingdom,” he said.

“I think dealing with the pandemic has shown that, so we need to make the case for the United Kingdom.

“Mark Drake ford was making a point about who decides in certain circumstan­ces but no-one in the Labour Party wants the United Kingdom broken up.”

On the issue of whether he would try to prevent an independen­ce vote, Sir Keir said: “We will go into the elections in Scotland making the argument for the Union and making the argument that we don’ t need a referendum.”

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