Andy Burnham is facing calls to prevent a fresh bout of constitutional turmoil by making clear that there will be no second Scottish independence referendum while he remains in Number 10, after critics branded his remarks “reckless and naive”.
The Prime Minister was still under pressure yesterday after indicating that “majority public support” could open the door to a repeat of the 2014 vote on Scotland leaving the UK. Opponents claimed the comments had effectively “pulled the pin on a constitutional hand grenade”.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney moved quickly to seize on the intervention, calling for renewed discussions on how a lawful route to another independence vote could be agreed.
However, shadow Scottish secretary Harriet Cross has written to Mr Burnham demanding that he draw a firm line under the issue. She urged him to rule out another independence referendum during his premiership, reject the SNP leader’s appeal for further talks, and “categorically confirm” that he opposes a new vote and will continue to defend the United Kingdom.
Ms Cross said: “Your words have already created unnecessary uncertainty for Scots who remember well the divisive nature of the independence referendum.”
‘You opened the door to more constitutional uncertainty. You now need to shut it – and make it clear that there will be no repeat of 2014.’
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Mr Burnham said the position in Scotland was ‘exactly the same’ as in Northern Ireland, where there is a legal threshold for a poll on Irish reunification.
He implied the only obstacle to another Scottish independence vote was the lack of a ‘clear consensus’ and said that ‘I am not aware that there is a majority of public support for another referendum and until that changes there won’t be one’.
Andy Burnham has faced a fierce backlash over his blunder at PMQs on Wednesday
Nationalists seized on his comments in the Commons, with the SNP immediately demanding talks on how to secure another referendum
Mr Burnham has now tried to row back on his comments by writing to First Minister John Swinney
Mr Swinney yesterday attempted to capitalise on the Prime Minister’s comments, which he highlighted were a change in position from previously saying another referendum was off the table.
He said it is ‘important’ he and Mr Burnham discuss ‘how we turn that principle into an agreed legal mechanism, as exists in Northern Ireland’.
Ms Cross argues in her letter that the SNP’s failure to secure the target of an outright majority in May’s Holyrood elections, – which Mr Swinney said would be a clear mandate for another referendum – was a ‘clear message’ from voters that Scots don’t want another referendum.
She said: ‘Andy Burnham’s reckless and naïve comments risk plunging Scotland into yet more constitutional chaos.
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‘He has played directly into John Swinney’s hands and gave the SNP the perfect excuse to continue their endless agitation for another independence referendum.
‘The last thing Scotland needs when school standards are falling, drug deaths are the highest in Europe and too many Scots are on an NHS waiting list, is a rerun of 2014.
‘The Prime Minister needs to clean up the mess his has created and make crystal clear that the future of our United Kingdom will not be dictated by an opinion poll.’
Mr Burnham last night attempted to clarify his remarks in the House of Commons in a letter to Mr Swinney.
He said: ‘As we all recognise, Northern Ireland and Scotland have different historical experiences and therefore distinct constitutional arrangements.
‘In my remarks, I was simply highlighting that there is no consensus for an independence referendum in Scotland and nor is there a clear basis to suggest that a majority of people in Northern Ireland presently wish to separate from the United Kingdom.’
He said there was a consensus in 2014 and the people of Scotland backed remaining in the UK, a position Labour backed in its manifesto for the 2024 general election.
Mr Burnham said: ‘As I made clear to you personally when we met recently in Glasgow, independence and a referendum are off limits as it would take our focus away from growing the economy and helping families with the cost of living.
‘I and my Government are keen to work with you and the Scottish Government to ensure Scotland, as part of the UK, is rewired to work for people and I am looking forward to progressing that shared agenda with you at our meeting of the National Economic Council where the focus will be on driving growth, opportunity and prosperity in every part of the UK.’
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: ‘Andy Burnham has pulled the pin on a constitutional hand grenade – which John Swinney has now thrown back at him.
‘The ex-Manchester mayor is dangerously naïve about the SNP’s relentless agitation to break up the United Kingdom.
‘It was inevitable that John Swinney would pounce on Burnham’s naïve comparison between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
‘Opening the door to another divisive referendum is further evidence that Labour can’t be trusted to defend the Union.’
In his letter, Mr Swinney said: ‘By concluding a clear, understandable mechanism, both sides of the constitutional debate can move forward constructively in the full knowledge of an agreed process by which the Scottish people can exercise their democratic right at a time of their choosing.’
Elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice said that the Prime Minister’s comment ‘does read like something of a misstatement’.