LABOUR would rather govern as a minority administration than agree a deal with the SNP, John McDonnell has said.

However, the shadow chancellor said a Jeremy Corbyn government would “consider” a request for a section 30 order to allow indyref2.

The comments came as McDonnell embarked on a two-day trip north of the Border.

The veteran left-winger also told reporters in Glasgow that if there was to be another EU referendum it was “inevitable” that the choice for voters would be Remain versus Theresa May’s deal, adding: “And if it was, I would vote remain.”

Asked about a possible agreement with the SNP to form a government, he replied: “When we win the next election, we’ll win it with a significant majority.

“If we don’t get a significant majority, and we were in a minority situation, we’d govern as a minority government, and we’d lay out our manifesto and we’d lay out our proposals and it’d be for the other parties to support or not.

“That would be their decision.”

READ MORE: Labour fall into further confusion on party's indyref2 position

Asked if he would respect the wishes of MSPs and grant a section 30 order to allow the Scottish Government to legally hold a referendum on independence, McDonnell said everything beyond Brexit and poverty was a “distraction” right now.

“What we’re trying to do is deal with the two crucial issues at the moment – one is Brexit and the other is trying to transform our economy. All the rest is a complete distraction,” he said.

“If it arises then we will consider it then, but it’s a hypothetical at the moment,” he added.

McDonnell also said his party’s next manifesto would likely contain opposition to a second independence referendum.

“We opposed it in our last manifesto,” he said. “We want a united country. It is a complete distraction.”

The Labour stalwart also said he was confident his government would be able to “rapidly” reopen negotiations with the EU – despite Brussels insisting that the deal secured by May is the best available.

He said the European Commission “has seen the disarray this Government is in” and would be open to exploring other options.

McDonnell also rejected Unite leader Len McCluskey’s warning that a second EU referendum would be seen as a “betrayal” of voters.

He said if Labour’s attempt to get a General Election failed the public would understand the need for a new vote.

“I think people will recognise we would have no other option but to consider another public vote,” he said.

“People respect us for doing our best to implement the spirit of the referendum result.”

The shadow chancellor was in Scotland to flesh out a promise made at the party’s Scottish conference earlier this year to deliver the “biggest transfer in wealth and power” from London to Scotland since the Second World War.

He said Labour would bring an end to austerity with an additional £70 billion of cash for Scotland over 10 years.

SNP MSP George Adam said: “The only way we can guarantee an irreversible shift in power from London to Scotland is through independence.

“It’s interventions like this that show exactly why Labour continue to languish in third place in Scottish politics and can’t even beat one of the most incompetent Tory governments of all time.”