RICHARD Leonard has said he’d rather have Brexit than a second referendum.

In comments that the SNP claimed would dismay his party’s supporters, the Scottish Labour chief said that the UK leaving the EU with a deal negotiated by Jeremy Corbyn would be better than another vote.

He was blasted too by colleague Ian Murray, the Edinburgh South MP, who told his boss there was no such thing as a “good Brexit”.

Speaking to journalists in Holyrood, Leonard outlined his position on Brexit: “We are keen to be able to amend the deal.

“If we are not successful in doing that then the vote that will take place would contain the option of remain, but it would also need to contain, in our view, a credible leave option as well.”

Asked if he’d rather have a second referendum or Corbyn’s Labour Brexit deal, Leonard said: “For that deal.”

On how he would campaign in a new vote, the MSP said: “Well, we haven’t got to that point yet.

“I mean I have been asked this question before and my own personal position would be I would campaign for remain but we haven’t reached that point yet.”

Leonard dismissed that by backing Brexit he was failing to represent Scotland, where 62% of voters backed Remain.

“The referendum on the EU in the end was a UK-wide franchise, and that was the outcome of the people who took part,” he said.

The loyal Corbynista also said a second Brexit referendum could make another Scottish independence vote more likely, but said there was “no appetite” for this.

Leonard also said any extension to negotiations should last longer than the two months proposed by Theresa May, even though that would mean the UK taking part in the next elections to the European Parliament.

He said the party’s Scottish Executive Committee had already discussed what it would do if it had to stand candidates in the poll.

Murray, the Labour MP for Edinburgh South, who has campaigned for a People’s Vote, said: “These comments will disappoint many Scottish Labour members. There is no good Brexit, no jobs-first Brexit, and no better Labour Brexit. Nothing is as good as what we currently enjoy as a member of the EU.

“Jeremy Corbyn, Keir Starmer and Emily Thornberry have been clear. We should have a public vote with the Prime Minister’s deal versus remain on the ballot paper, and we must back remain for the sake of jobs and livelihoods in Scotland and across the UK.”

The SNP MSP George Adam said Leonard had “confirmed that Scottish Labour is pro-Brexit – something that will utterly dismay many of its own supporters.

“The clock is ticking on Brexit and we desperately need parties to work together against Theresa May’s bad deal and against no-deal.”

Tory MSP Adam Tomkins added: “Even Richard Leonard is now admitting the utter shambles his party have gotten themselves into over Brexit.

“Allowing a second EU referendum sets a dangerous precedent, and as he admits himself, it could lead to a second independence referendum.

“It just goes to show once again how weak Labour are on the Union – they are willing to sell it out for political expediency.”

Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie condemned Leonard’s “red Brexit”.

Meanwhile, Corbyn has been warned that the party risks being wiped out in Leave backing areas after his renewed enthusiasm for a second referendum.

Labour MP John Mann said the party had promised to respect the result of the vote in their last manifesto. The move, he said, would be “catastrophic to Labour in the Midlands and the North”.

The Brexiteer told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “Voters won’t have it. The last person to renege on their manifesto was Nick Clegg, it didn’t end very well for him on tuition fees.

“Our manifesto was unambiguous, we would accept the result of the referendum. A second referendum doesn’t do that and the voters – in very, very large numbers – will not accept that.”