JEREMY Corbyn refused to clear up his policy on IndyRef2 today after he stunned aides by claiming he’d block a vote until at least 2025.
The Labour leader set out a hardline stance on a rerun of 2014 shortly after 11am – insisting he wouldn’t sanction a vote in his “first term” as PM.
Minutes later his staffers frantically tried to backtrack and claimed Labour’s position could change if the SNP won a majority at the Holyrood election in 2021.
But Mr Corbyn’s warning sparked a furious war of words with the SNP – while the Tories gloated that Mr Corbyn would allow the break-up of the UK.
At 4pm, speaking to Press at Tannochside Miners’ Welfare club, in Lanarkshire, a grumpy Mr Corbyn repeatedly refused to clarify when he would allow IndyRef2.
He was visibly annoyed when told by The Scottish Sun there was “confusion” over his IndyRef2 policy given his aides contradicting his comments.
He snapped back: “I think the confusion is with you if I may say so, not me.
“It’s quite clear an incoming Labour government’s priorities would be investment in Scotland – £70 billion investment for jobs, services, infrastructure. It will be in ending Universal Credit, it will be in encouraging housing development in Scotland.”
Appearing to muddle his words, he added: “And we will not countenance an indy referendum in the early years of a Labour government because out priorities will be elsewhere.”
Asked what “early years” meant, he said: “It means what I’ve just said – that we will prioritise all of those things over an indy referendum.”
Mr Corbyn was pressed on the point repeatedly but would not say if he would allow a vote if the SNP won a majority in 2021, repeat his earlier claim, or say if he had misspoken.
Nicola Sturgeon wants to hold IndyRef2 in 2020 – along with a second EU referendum.
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Until today, Labour’s stance had been that there would be no re-run of 2014 in the “formative years” of a Labour government.
But in his first comments of the day, in Scotstoun, Glasgow, Mr Corbyn suggested it could not happen for at least five years, saying: “No referendum in the first term for a Labour government because I think we need to concentrate completely in investment across Scotland.”
Ms Sturgeon has previously made clear she would refuse to prop up a minority Labour government into power if it refuses IndyRef2.
Last night, the First Minister was asked what she’d do if Mr Corbyn stuck to his word and did not allow IndyRef2 in 2020.
She said: “I won’t help him in power, to get into power, to stay in power.” But Mr Corbyn replied on Twitter, posting a still of Margaret Thatcher walking into No10 as PM for the first time in 1979 – after the SNP helped to bring down the Labour Government.
Mr Corbyn tweeted: “Just like in 1979, the SNP are willing to usher in another heartless Conservative government.”
He added: “There you have it. If you want to vote the Conservatives out of office, we need Labour MPs in Scotland.
“The SNP can’t be trusted not to let Boris Johnson back in.”
Tory Stephen Kerr, who’s bidding for re-election in Stirling, said: “On the biggest issue in Scotland, the future of the union, Jeremy Corbyn is in complete disarray.
“Barely before he’d finished speaking, he was being ‘clarified’ by his aides.
“The only thing that’s clear is that he simply cannot be trusted to back Scotland’s place in the UK.”
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Tory Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s position on Scottish independence is as incoherent as his position on Brexit.
“In the space of a few hours he has ruled out a second Scottish independence referendum, and then ruled out ruling it out.
“Corbyn’s Labour would cook up a dodgy backroom deal with the SNP for two more chaotic referendums, wasting yet more time as politicians argue amongst themselves.”
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