ANAS Sarwar has insisted his position to oppose another independence referendum is “unequivocal” after Labour’s UK leader said he would need to “assess the situation” after the Holyrood election as to whether another vote should take place.

Sir Keir Starmer was asked whether a re-run of the 2014 referendum should take place if Holyrood returns another pro-independence majority on a visit to Edinburgh on Friday.

The UK Labour leader warned he would need to “assess the situation” after the election - comments seized upon by the Scottish Tories as a failure to rule out another referendum.

The Scottish Labour leader has stressed that “Keir and I are at the same place” in their stance over the constitution.

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He added: “Keir agrees with me that our focus needs to be on the national recovery. He agrees with me that we need to not have a referendum but instead focus on a national recovery.

“The point that Keir was making was that people have still got to vote – there are still votes to cast. We are going to persuade people that a different choice is possible and that we can focus on a national recovery and not go back to those old arguments.”

Mr Sarwar said he was not attempting to stifle debate around independence but that “it would be wrong for us to focus” on the constitution during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He added: “I’m unequivocal in terms of my position on not supporting a referendum on independence.”

Mr Sarwar was pressed over his leadership apparently clamping down on candidates who openly support or are sympathetic to another independence referendum taking place.

Hollie Cameron was dropped by Labour’s Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) after making remarks in favour of another referendum potentially being held, but Mr Sarwar said the reasons for her removal were “much broader” than initially reported.

The broader reasons are thought to be Ms Cameron's refusal to promise to adhere to the Labour group whip if elected - but the SEC probe was initiated following her comments on the constitution.

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In Wales, Labour has three candidates standing in the Senedd elections who openly support Welsh independence.

But Mr Sarwar said all candidates elected to Holyrood will take up their seats on a mandate opposing Indyref2 – with Scottish Labour taking a much tougher position.

He said: “Our candidates are standing on a manifesto that doesn’t support independence, doesn’t support a referendum and that is the mandate which they will serve in the next parliament.

“I’m appealing to people across that divide and at the same time being honest about what my own view is.”