RICHARD Leonard issued a strongly-worded blast at “demagogue” Boris Johnson yesterday – hours after his deputy seemed to “minimise” the importance of the referendum block.
The party’s position shifted as the day went on and outcry over Johnson’s Article 30 refusal continued.
It took the under-pressure Scottish Labour leader almost three hours to set out his position on Johnson’s letter to Nicola Sturgeon.
The publication of that letter triggered a wave of outrage after Johnson said granting the transfer of power that would allow a legal referendum on the constitution would be undemocratic.
READ MORE: Kevin McKenna: Boris is bong-kers
Ninety minutes later, Alex Rowley, Scottish Labour’s constitution spokesperson, released a short statement which suggested the constitution was the last thing Scotland should be thinking about.
He said: “The immediate priority for both the Prime Minister and the First Minister should be minimising the damage caused by Brexit. There are conversations to be had in the future about other issues, but at the moment the focus should be on protecting Scotland’s interests in the face of our imminent exit from the EU.”
But Leonard seemed to contradict that when he issued his own strongly-worded statement attacking the Prime Minister and insisting that the status quo must change. However, rather than backing independence, Leonard called Home Rule “the only viable option that stands a chance of healing the divisions in our society”.
Mounting a personal attack on Johnson, Leonard said: “I have long argued that the future of Scotland will be won and lost in Scotland, and not on the banks of the River Thames.
“Boris Johnson’s decision to block a second independence referendum in perpetuity does not change this.
“And it is spectacularly naively to think this will close the issue down. It will only inflame the debate, as Boris Johnson’s history of demagoguery and division shows he is well practised in doing.
READ MORE: First Minister responds to Boris Johnson's Section 30 rejection
“Scotland and the whole UK are deeply unequal societies which desperately need radical change. But the Tories are hell-bent on destroying what is left of the welfare state, and the SNP are advocating a decade of cuts in a separate Scottish state.
“The people of Scotland rejected independence in 2014, but Scotland remains divided. I believe that Home Rule within the UK is the only viable option that stands a chance of healing the divisions in our society.
“We can’t wait for a UK Labour government to deliver this, so we must demand it now and mobilise for radical change.”
Ian Murray, Labour’s only remaining MP in Scotland, had not made any public comment last night.
The shifting stance came after Labour’s Scottish executive committee rejected Leonard’s plan to hold a special conference to determine how to handle the independence issue.
Earlier this week, Rowley told The National that members are “very disillusioned that the Scottish executive committee don’t seem to see the urgency” with them on the key matter.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel