Andy Burnham, widely expected to succeed Keir Starmer as the next leader of the UK Labour Party, has definitively ruled out any possibility of a second independence referendum in Scotland. Burnham conveyed this stance to Scottish Labour MPs during a meeting last week, stating he is "not willing to consider" allowing the Scottish National Party (SNP) the opportunity to hold another vote on breaking away from the United Kingdom.

The meeting, attended by approximately 25 of Labour's 36 Scottish Members of Parliament, saw Burnham express a firm opposition to a new constitutional vote. This comes despite his recent advocacy for increased devolution of powers to regions within the UK.

One attendee reported that Burnham was "crystal clear that it is not something he is going to be considering." This assurance aims to quell concerns raised by some opposition parties and even within Labour, who questioned whether Burnham's broader devolution plans would extend to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, potentially enabling a referendum.

Burnham, the Member of Parliament for Makerfield, reportedly dismissed suggestions of granting such a vote during his inaugural meeting with Scottish Labour MPs. Another participant described the session as "good, very well attended," noting Burnham's "enthusiasm and energy" and his commitment to fostering "a new culture within the party and in Westminster."

"He made the point that he’s not a fan of referendums, isn’t going to be granting one and it’s not something he is willing to consider," the attendee added.

Since the 2014 independence referendum, every Prime Minister has declined to grant the Scottish Government the necessary Section 30 order to hold another vote. Scottish First Minister John Swinney has recently reaffirmed his intention to request such an order from Westminster.

Burnham has previously outlined ambitions for significant devolution, including the creation of a "Number 10 North" to shift power away from London and towards the North of England, and granting greater authority to mayors. In a recent online Q&A, he expressed a desire for a "collaborative and pragmatic" relationship with devolved governments, aiming to extend similar devolution offers to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. He stated his intention to speak with the First Ministers of these nations to "agree a positive way of working."

However, his devolution proposals have drawn criticism. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch suggested Burnham might be "passing the problem to someone else" by devolving powers. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay voiced alarm at the idea of granting more power to the SNP, citing their "astonishing record of failure."

Burnham has also indicated a desire to "extend devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by taking power deeper down," potentially decentralizing powers from devolved parliaments to local communities.

In a previous article, Burnham pitched his vision for Scotland, promising "the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen" and envisioning "Number 10 North" as a "nerve centre of a rewired Britain." He emphasized support for key Scottish industries and public services, along with empowering local leaders.

SNP MSP Ivan McKee expressed uncertainty about Burnham's proposals, accusing him of using "catchy lines" without providing concrete details for the Scottish Parliament.

Burnham's aversion to referendums has been noted previously. In 2020, amidst discussions about a second EU referendum, he stated, "You just can’t keep having referendum after referendum." He had previously supported calls for an EU vote, leading to accusations of indecisiveness.

During his 2015 bid for Labour leadership, Burnham declared his opposition to nationalism, stating, "The party I lead will take the fight to nationalism wherever it is found. This is because I have never believed that politics based on borders and division helps the lot of working people."