JEREMY Corbyn has been accused by the Conservatives of offering a “sweetheart deal” to Nicola Sturgeon after saying he would “open discussions” with her about a second Scottish independence referendum if he won power.
The Labour leader’s remarks came after Theresa May suggested the First Minister would “pull the strings” in any minority Labour government and demand, as the price for propping it up, a second vote on the Union.
This is the same campaign warning David Cameron made two years ago when Tory election posters showed the then Nationalist leader Alex Salmond as puppet-master to Ed Miliband. Conservative HQ believes the tactic helped the Tories over the line in 2015, confounding the pollsters to win a majority.
Read more: Theresa May mocks Nicola Sturgeon for suggesting Jeremy Corbyn was not up to the job of being PM
Mr Corbyn has sought not to repeat what commentators believed was his predecessor’s electoral mistake of taking weeks to rule out any kind of coalition or pact with the SNP should there be a hung parliament.
On Monday, he again declared: “There will be no deals. There will be no alliance. We’re fighting this election to win. Only Labour or the Tories can win this election and voting Labour is the only way to remove Theresa May from office.”
But later during a radio interview the Labour leader was pressed on what would happen if he ended up in Number 10 and Ms Sturgeon demanded another vote on Scotland’s future.
Read more: Theresa May to voters: Who do you trust to negotiate the best Brexit deal?
Mr Corbyn replied: “I’ll obviously open discussions with the Government in Scotland and listen very carefully to what the Scottish Parliament says.
“I would ask them to think very carefully about it and suggest it would be much better to have this question dealt with at the conclusion of what are very serious and very important Brexit negotiations, where I am utterly determined to achieve tariff-free trade access to the European markets to protect manufacturing and service jobs all across the UK, all across Scotland, Wales and England as well, of course.’’ In March after the Scottish Parliament mandated Ms Sturgeon to seek a parliamentary order from the UK Government enabling a second referendum on independence to take place, the Labour leadership was clear that Westminster should not stand in the way of the demand.
But Mrs May insisted now was “not the time” to hold another independence vote given the Brexit talks were about to begin while the Tory manifesto talked of the withdrawal process needing to be “played out” and public consent given before a second poll on the Union could take place. This signalled the PM’s intent not to facilitate a plebiscite in the next parliament ie until after 2022 at the earliest.
While the FM stressed the “reality” of the election meant a Labour victory was unlikely, the SNP leader, noting how she would be launching her party’s manifesto on Tuesday, told Sky News: “If there is any chance of a progressive alliance that locks the Tories out, I would want to get as much of the SNP manifesto implemented as possible.”
Read more: Jeremy Corbyn rules out deal with SNP in hung parliament
It is widely believed top of her wish-list would be holding a second independence referendum.
On the campaign trail in Twickenham, a Tory marginal, Mrs May mocked Ms Sturgeon. To laughter from party activists, she said: “I believe she said yesterday that she didn’t think Jeremy Corbyn was capable of being prime minister but, at the same time, also said that she would prop him up and push him into government.”
Meantime, Ruth Davidson claimed the SNP leader was “desperate for a second referendum” and suggested it “looks like a sweetheart deal is in the offing”.
The Scottish Conservative leader went on: “Nicola Sturgeon has said she’d put Jeremy Corbyn into Number 10. Now Jeremy Corbyn says he is happy to ‘open discussions’ with her about a second referendum.
“Labour voters in Scotland now know that Jeremy Corbyn would sell them down the river. I will never fold against Nicola Sturgeon’s demand for a second referendum. It is clearer than ever that only by voting Scottish Conservatives on June 8 can we send her a message to take if off the table.”
As Tory HQ seized on Mr Corbyn’s remarks about “opening discussions” about a second independence referendum, Labour put out more words with a spokesman saying the party leader would have talks with SNP ministers “about all Scottish issues”.
Read more: Theresa May mocks Nicola Sturgeon for suggesting Jeremy Corbyn was not up to the job of being PM
“Jeremy Corbyn and Scottish Labour have repeatedly said that a second independence referendum is both unwanted and unnecessary. Labour firmly opposes a second independence referendum,” he added.
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