Labour won't block Indyref 2 says McDonnell
Shadow Chancellor says Holyrood should have the final say
Last updated 7th Aug 2019
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell says a future Labour government would not block a second Scottish independence referendum.
In an interview at the Fringe in Edinburgh he said any decision would be up to the Scottish Parliament.
He said: "It will be for the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish people to decide that.
"They will take a view about whether they want another referendum. Nicola Sturgeon said by late next year or the beginning of 2021.''
He added: "We would not block something like that. We would let the Scottish people decide. That's democracy.
"There are other views within the party but that's our view.''
Mr McDonnell's view contradicts that of Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard who said in March that the party would refuse to grant a "Section 30 order'' giving Holyrood the power to hold another vote.
However, Mr McDonnell said on Tuesday: "The Scottish Parliament will come to a considered view on that and they will submit that to the Government and the English Parliament itself.
"If the Scottish people decide they want a referendum, that's for them.''
SNP MSP George Adam said later: "It is for the Scottish people to decide upon their future. The Scottish Government has a crystal clear mandate to give them that choice.
"Polling this week shows that they want that choice sooner rather than later - with a majority in favour of the opportunities of independence.
"For any Westminster government to deny that would be a democratic outrage, and Tory posturing on the issue is completely unsustainable.
"We trust this position will now receive the fulsome backing of Richard Leonard and Scottish Labour.''
However, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: These comments are astonishingly irresponsible and not in (the) interests of Scotland or the UK.
"It's bad enough with Boris Johnson bungling on Brexit and independence but to have the Labour Party's (shadow) chancellor piling in makes it a whole lot worse.
"It's clear only the Liberal Democrats are robustly standing up for Scotland's place in the UK and the EU.''
Labour MP for Edinburgh South Ian Murray attacked Mr McDonnell's comments.
He said: "These are utterly irresponsible comments from John McDonnell that betray our party's values.
"The Labour Party is an internationalist party founded on a vision of solidarity and we should never seek to appease nationalists, whether they be for Brexit or Scottish independence, who want to divide communities and people."
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: “I feel for those Labour voters that stood side by side with major figures of their party and against the forces of nationalism in 2014. Know that the @ScotTories will always stand up for our United Kingdom.''
“John McDonnell's comments yesterday were met with complete dismay by Labour voters in Scotland.
“Today it's becoming clear why he said it. Labour is proposing a pact with the SNP in order to parachute Jeremy Corbyn into number 10.
“The fact is this - Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell would happily sell Scotland down the river if they thought it could give them a sniff of power.
“That is a rank betrayal of the two million Scots - including thousands of Labour voters - who voted to stay part of the UK.
“I can't imagine Scotland's Labour MP's were chuffed to hear Mr McDonnell describe Westminster as an 'English parliament'. It's not. It's a parliament for the whole UK with representatives from every corner of the country.
“Scottish voters can rest assured that the Scottish Conservatives will always stand up for our place in the United Kingdom and no Conservative prime minister would entertain doing a dodgy deal with the nationalists.'
Following the comments, Labour MP Stella Creasy tweeted: “Nationalism is antithesis of socialism - to prioritise passports over principles isn't progressive.
“Egalitarian devolution isn't about separation but how by working together as nations within the UK each stronger and more successful. Labour abandons such commitment at our peril.''
SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth said: “With a no-deal Brexit approaching, we urgently need clarity from Richard Leonard and Scottish Labour.
“It's a bit embarrassing that Westminster Labour politicians have done more than their Holyrood colleagues to defend the democratic rights of the people of Scotland.''
She added: “Unless Scottish Labour join the SNP in defending Scotland's right to hold an independence referendum, they'll be lending their backing to the jobs-wrecking Tory Brexit and will continue their slide into complete irrelevance.'
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “I met with John this morning, and I made clear to him that a second independence referendum is unwanted by the people of Scotland and it is unnecessary.
“The 2014 referendum was a once-in-a-generation vote.
“There is no economic case for independence, especially with the SNP's new position of ditching the pound and new policy of turbo-charged austerity to bear down on the deficit.
“On that, John McDonnell and I are in firm agreement - what Scotland needs is radical reforming Labour governments at Holyrood and Westminster.'
Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South, tweeted: “Scottish Labour opposes a damaging and divisive Scottish independence referendum. The policy is set by the Scottish Labour Party and outlined in our last manifesto.
“John McDonnell must clarify his unhelpful freelancing immediately.'
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