YOU know Westminster is in disarray when even UK Labour shadow ministers are having to admit that Scotland is justified in wanting indyref2.
Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South and shadow treasury minister for sustainable economics, put his opinion in the plainest terms.
It came after shadow chancellor John McDonnell humiliated Labour's Scottish branch office by saying the party wouldn't attempt to block indyref2 if a request was made while they were in power.
That, of course, infuriated the likes of Labour MP Ian Murray and Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie.
Lewis had an altogether different take on the matter, and he made it known on Twitter.
The MP said: "John McDonnell open to 2nd Ref on Scottish independence. This is a good call [from him].
"It sounds shallow to demand a People's Vote aka 2nd ref on Brexit but deny the Scottish people a vote. Who can blame their demand with the shitshow down here?"
John McDonnell open to 2nd Ref on Scottish independence>This is a good call from @johnmcdonnellMP It Sounds shallow to demand a PV aka 2nd ref on brexit but deny the Scottish people a vote.Who can blame their demand with the shitshow down here? https://t.co/i3PJNgig52
— Clive Lewis MP (@labourlewis) August 6, 2019
We agree, Clive – and it's nice to see a Labour politician actually admitting the obvious amid the chaos of Boris Johnson and Brexit.
Murray responded somewhat differently, however. The MP for Edinburgh South 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.
“John McDonnell has even bought into the nationalist narrative that Westminster is an ‘English Parliament’, in an insult to the hard work carried out by Scottish MPs from every party.
“We were promised by the SNP that the 2014 referendum was once-in-a-generation, and we have a duty to hold the Nationalists to their promise by firmly opposing a divisive second independence referendum.
“But one of the architects of the Corbyn project that is destroying the Labour Party now appears willing to destroy our United Kingdom with thoughtless rants at the Festival.”
There's nothing like a Labour civil war...
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