Labour beef up their manifesto promise to oppose ScotRef

Despite Jeremy Corbyn saying back in March that he’d be “absolutely fine” with another vote on Scotland’s constitutional question, his programme for government, due to be officially launched today, is unequivocal in its opposition.

The language used is significantly tougher than appeared in the draft manifesto leaked to press last week.

In the document, due to be published today, the party say: “Labour opposes a second Scottish independence referendum.

“It is unwanted and unnecessary, and we will campaign tirelessly to ensure Scotland remains part of the UK. Independence would lead to turbo-charged austerity for Scottish families.”

The draft simply said: “Labour opposes a second Scottish independence referendum and will campaign tirelessly to ensure that the desire to remain a part of the UK is respected.”

Speaking ahead of the manifesto launch in West Yorkshire, Corbyn said: “Scotland doesn’t need or want a second independence referendum.

“We need the SNP government to get on with the job of governing.

“The SNP government should be using the existing powers of the Scottish Parliament to focus on jobs, grow the economy, help family incomes and invest in public services.

“Holding another referendum on leaving the UK is the wrong thing to do for Scotland’s economy, especially when there is so much economic uncertainty from the Tories’ plans for a reckless Brexit. Labour will campaign tirelessly to ensure Scotland remains part of the UK. Independence would lead to turbo-charged austerity for Scottish families.”

Two months ago the Labour leader said: “If a referendum is held then it is absolutely fine, it should be held. I don’t think it’s the job of Westminster or the Labour party to prevent people holding referenda.”

In response Ian Murray, who was the party’s only MP in Scotland, took to Twitter to accuse Corbyn of trying to “destroy” Labour.

Kezia Dugdale is to join Corbyn in Bradford for the manifesto launch.

Elsewhere on the campaign trail Nicola Sturgeon said a victory for the SNP would give “democratic legitimacy” to proposals for Scotland to remain in the single market even though the rest of the UK is leaving.

Speaking while campaigning in Hamilton with candidate Angela Crawley, Sturgeon said: “I think there should be a choice for people in Scotland, not now but at the end of the Brexit process, where we can decide between Brexit and becoming independent.

“But my message in this election is that the election has a more immediate opportunity for Scotland and that’s to make sure that our voice is right at the centre of the negotiations because Brexit – and particularly the extreme Brexit that Theresa May is pursuing – could sacrifice tens of thousands of Scottish jobs, so it is vital that Scotland’s interests are at the heart of these negotiations.

“So my message to people, whether they voted Leave or Remain, is to back the SNP in this election, give me a mandate to demand that Scotland’s interests are protected in these negotiations and our place in the single market is on the table.”

She said an SNP victory would give the party “a clear democratic mandate to demand a place for Scotland at the top table – with our continuing place in the single market a fundamental pillar of the UK’s negotiating remit”.

She added: “Theresa May dismissed out of hand sensible compromise proposals that the Scottish Government put forward; proposals that would have protected our place in the single market even although we were leaving the EU.

“By calling a snap election, of course, she’s given people the opportunity to give democratic legitimacy to these proposals, so my message is: if you don’t want to see the Scottish economy damaged by Theresa May’s extreme approach to Brexit, then back the SNP so I can make sure that Scotland’s interests are protected in these negotiations.”

Speaking earlier on BBC Radio Scotland, Sturgeon was questioned on the currency an independent Scotland would use, after she ruled out adopting the euro in a series of Sunday interviews.

The SNP leader said: “The starting point for an independent Scotland is we’d use the pound; it’s our currency.

“When we come to an independence referendum, if we come to an independence referendum, these issues will be subject to the greatest of scrutiny."

Asked whether Scotland could join the euro, she said: "I can say with confidence [that it would not] because there is no rule that forces any member of the EU to join the euro. That is simply a statement of fact.

“But we are in a Westminster election campaign right now, not an independence referendum.”

Scottish Socialist Party National spokesman Colin Fox described Corbyn’s anti-independence manifesto as “deeply disappointing”.

He said: “Pro-independence socialists have a great deal of sympathy with the many progressive and forward-thinking policies Jeremy Corbyn advocates in the Labour manifesto.”

“However his failure to understand the national question in Scotland is glaringly obvious. He is left sounding exactly like Ruth Davidson and Theresa May. Nor does he appreciate that the same political forces supporting him in England are largely in the Yes camp here.

“He is therefore completely out of touch with public opinion in working-class communities here. He appears not to have grasped the immense damage the Better Together love-in with the Tories did to Labour in Scotland during the 2014 referendum. To ape their language and arguments in his manifesto does his cause no good here.”