JEREMY Corbyn’s position on a second independence referendum has been thrown into further confusion after he left open the possibility of backing a vote with multiple options.
The Labour leader, who has recently been accused of softening his opposition to a referendum on separation, yesterday dodged the question of whether he backed giving voters a choice between independence and federalism.
Labour opposed a second independence referendum in its General Election manifesto by describing the SNP’s flagship policy as “unwanted and unnecessary”.
However, Corbyn’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell appeared to rip up that policy at the Edinburgh Festival by saying that a Labour Government would not block a request from an SNP administration.
McDonnell was accused of undermining Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, who has been staunchly opposed to indyref2.
Corbyn then clarified the policy last week by saying he would not back another referendum in the “formative” years of a Labour government, although he stopped short of laying down a timescale.
Critics believe Corbyn and McDonnell have U-turned because they believe they will need the votes of SNP MPs in the event of Labour being in power.
Paul Sweeney, a Scottish Labour MP who is part of Corbyn’s frontbench team, said recently that Labour should not support a binary referendum, but should offer a multiple choice question, which would include his party’s policy of federalism.
Asked if believed a multi-option referendum was a good idea at a Labour event in Springburn, Glasgow, Corbyn said yesterday: “Paul [Sweeney] is right here, so you are free to ask him the question as well. Paul has been discussing, as have Lesley [Laird, MP] and others, future arrangements which the party will obviously be considering. An incoming Labour Government would not want, or welcome, or support an independence referendum in Scotland.”
Meanwhile, Corbyn also told the gathering that next week is the “last chance” to stop a no-deal Brexit.
“We will do absolutely everything we can to prevent a no-deal Brexit and the Prime Minister taking us into the hands of Donald Trump and a trade deal with the USA.
“That is the real agenda of the Prime Minister. There is a lot of work being done in preparation for next Tuesday.”
Parliament reconvenes after the summer recess on Tuesday.
Protesters flooded the streets of Britain this weekend in response to the Prime Minister’s prorogation plan. Anti-Brexit campaign group Another Europe Is Possible has planned 32 #StopTheCoup protests to take place in England, Scotland and Wales.
A similar demonstration took place in Glasgow’s George Square. Corbyn also did an impression of Boris Johnson as he mocked the Prime Minister for lacking detail in his announcements.
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