RICHARD Leonard needs to be more like Nicola Sturgeon and show “strong leadership” by backing a second Brexit referendum, a prominent Labour peer has said.
Arch Remainer Lord Adonis said the Scottish Labour leader had a “phenomenal opportunity” to put pressure on the UK government, but also the Labour leadership in London.
He told BBC Sunday Politics Scotland there should “definitely” be more cooperation between Labour and the SNP to help create a “popular front” against Brexit.
With many Labour MPs representing pro-Brexit seats, Jeremy Corbyn has been highly reluctant to embrace a second vote on leaving the EU.
However last month, delegates at UK Labour voted to keep the option on the table, if Labour fails to secure an early general election on the back of a Brexit impasse.
A week later, the First Minister also swung behind a People’s Vote on the outcome of the EU-UK negotiations, saying SNP MPs would vote for it in the Commons.
However Lord Adonis, a Labour minister from 2005 to 2010, said Mr Leonard wasn’t doing enough, and suggested it was because he was in lockstep with Mr Corbyn.
Asked whether Mr Leonard should break ranks with Mr Corbyn and back a People’s Vote, Lord Adonis said: “I wouldn’t see it as breaking ranks. I would see it as leading. The job of leaders is to lead.
“Richard has a phenomenal opportunity here. There’s hardly any support for Brexit here in Scotland. The young are particularly energised.
“Like Jeremy, he [Mr Leonard] is on a journey at the moment. He’s waiting to see what happens with the deal, and what’s going to happen in the House of Commons with the deal.
“My view is that he should lead [by saying Scottish labour wants another Brexit referendum].
“The Labour party across the UK wants another referendum.”
The peer then praised the example set by the SNP leader: “I think Nicola Sturgeon has done the right thing, and given very strong leadership towards a People’s Vote.
“She gave a very good address at the London rally. She is showing leadership.”
Asked if Mr Leonard should be more like Ms Sturgeon, Lord Adonis said: “What I want to see is a popular front. The whole future of Scotland is at stake.
“Whatever happens constitutionally to Scotland in the future, there is no future for Scotland which is better off outside the European Union.
“For my party it’s the right thing to do. It’s the right thing to do for the Scottish Government. They should work together on this.”
“Parliament will take this decision. Theresa May doesn’t have an automatic majority in parliament, which is the reason the People’s Vote is such a realistic prospect at the moment.
“Nicola Sturgeon is saying ‘we’ll help put that pressure on parliament’, and I respect what she’s saying.”
Asked if there should be more cooperation between Labour and the SNP, he said: “Definitely. Definitely should be.”
Even if it came to an election and the SNP held the balance of power? “Yes.”
However he ducked a question on whether that should extend to granting the Scottish Government a second independence referendum, saying Brexit was the priority.
SNP MP Peter Grant said: "The Labour Party are still in total disarray when it comes to their policy on Brexit.
It’s no wonder that they cannot be taken seriously as a credible opposition to the Tories when their wake up calls come from unelected politicians from their own party in the House of Lords – but a lack of leadership from Richard Leonard comes as no surprise to anyone.
“The SNP are absolutely clear in our message; Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU and we want that vote to be respected.
"Short of full EU membership, which Scotland voted overwhelmingly for in 2016, our demand is to stay in the Single Market and Customs Union – which is around eight times larger than the UK market alone.
"That would protect Scotland, and the UK, from the worst of the Brexit economic shock."
Scottish LibDem MSP Tavish Scott said: "A sizeable majority of Labour supporters in Scotland don't agree with the party's pro-Brexit policy. Polls show they back a vote on the deal and want to stay in the EU.
"Kezia Dugdale and Ian Murray back a vote on the deal. Are there no other Scottish Labour politicians willing to do the right thing and join the Liberal Democrats in campaigning for people to have the final say, and the opportunity to Exit from Brexit?"
A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: "Labour conference passed a motion which keeps all options on the table.
“If MPs can’t agree on whatever deal the Prime Minister comes back with, then we must have an immediate general election. Given the mess the Tories are making this is the vote our country urgently needs. If there isn’t a General Election, our position is that all options should remain on the table, including campaigning for a public vote.”
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