Jeremy Corbyn has said he would “open discussions” with the SNP about a second independence referendum if he becomes Prime Minister.
He said that the question of another vote should only be examined at the end of the Brexit negotiations.
During an interview with Bauer and Global radio stations, the UK Labour leader was asked what he would say to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon about her demand for a rerun of the 2014 contest sometime between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.
He said: “I’ll obviously open discussions with the government in Scotland and listen very carefully to what the Scottish Parliament says.
“I would ask them to think very carefully about it and suggest it would be much better to have this question dealt with at the conclusion of what are very serious and very important Brexit negotiations, where I am utterly determined to achieve tariff free trade access to the European markets to protect manufacturing and service jobs all across the UK, all across Scotland, Wales and England as well of course.”
The Conservatives say another ballot cannot take place until after Brexit and only if there is public consent for a vote.
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said: “Labour voters in Scotland now know that Jeremy Corbyn would sell them down the river. I will never fold against Nicola Sturgeon’s demand for a second referendum.”
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said later: “Jeremy Corbyn and Scottish Labour have repeatedly said that a second independence referendum is both unwanted and unnecessary.
“Labour firmly opposes a second independence referendum.”
A senior party source also claimed Mr Corbyn was “referring to opening discussions with the Scottish Government about all Scottish issues”.
Meanwhile, Labour’s UK general election campaign manager has predicted the party could become “bigger than it has ever been” even if it loses the upcoming election.
Ian Lavery spoke to The Courier as he campaigned with Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath candidate Lesley Laird.
Mr Lavery, who said the reason for the recent bounce in the polls for his party was because it has “changed direction”, also dropped another hint that Mr Corbyn would remain leader.
Labour won its largest ever majority, of 179, under Tony Blair in the 1997 election.
Mr Lavery said: “Regardless of what the results may be on June 8, and we are very encouraged by what we are seeing, we continue in the same vein.”
He added: “I think, by doing that, then this campaign will continue for years to come and we can rebuild the Labour Party to be bigger than what it ever has been, based on the democratic process on the way in which we want to ensure that everybody in our communities is looked after.
“We will leave nobody behind. We will not walk on the other side of the street to somebody that is suffering and we will be running the country, running the government for the many, not the few, with Jeremy Corbyn as leader.”
