Prime Minister Andy Burnham has moved to backtrack on comments made earlier today that suggested Scotland could hold another independence referendum if there was majority public support. His office has since clarified that the Labour party's position remains unchanged: another referendum is not supported.
Burnham appeared to outline conditions for a fresh separatist vote in Scotland during Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) when challenged by an SNP MP. He indicated that the same rules as Northern Ireland should apply, requiring a 'clear consensus in the country.' "I am not aware that there's a majority of public support for another referendum. And until that changes there won't be one," Burnham stated.
These remarks were seized upon by Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who posted on X (formerly Twitter) that this represented an "acceptance of the reality that the people of Scotland will decide their own future." Swinney highlighted that for the first time since 2014, a British Prime Minister had acknowledged that majority support for a referendum should lead to one taking place.
However, Downing Street emphasized that the Prime Minister's stance is that a vote is "off the table." A press secretary for Burnham reiterated this position, stating, "The PM has been repeatedly clear on this. In his call with the Scottish First Minister in his first week, the PM stated up front that another referendum on independence was off limits. As our election manifesto makes clear, Labour does not support independence or another referendum."
Scotland previously voted by 55% to 45% to remain in the UK in the 2014 independence referendum. That vote was described at the time as a "once in a generation" decision, but the Scottish National Party (SNP) has continued to advocate for a rerun of the vote.