SCOTTISH Labour need to stop being “afraid” of a second referendum on independence, former First Minister Henry McLeish has claimed.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival yesterday, the ex-Labour leader claimed his party’s unwillingness to even consider the future of Scotland’s constitution was harming their prospects in the long-term.

This was, he added, Labour’s “last call” on independence.

McLeish, who served as Scotland’s First Minister between 2000 and 2001, told the audience gathered in the capital’s Charlotte Square for the launch of his new book, Citizens United, he was “nearly there” on the possibility of backing independence.

Earlier this year Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale announced her plan for a federal Britain,” calling for a “people’s convention” to create a “new act of union”.

McLeish said he still believes federalism could be “the key to unlocking the constitutional door for Labour in Scotland” though admitted that this now seemed to be “an abstract debate” that was “not even on the radar screen of Westminster”.

He added that Labour had damaged themselves “by pretending [independence] will go away.”

“It isn’t going to go away and Labour must now rejoin enthusiastically the constitutional debate and not press for a vote on independence, another referendum on independence, but a referendum on the future of Scotland, and that could have another question,” McLeish argued.

“I make an appeal to the Labour Party, do not be afraid of the constitutional question. You cannot go around and say to Scots, we’re against having another referendum. If Scots want another referendum they shall have another referendum.

“The way to defeat independence if you’re Labour is to engage in the battle, engage in the referendum, win your case, win the vote. And as a democrat, that’s what they should be doing.”

McLeish said he believed that if there was nothing other than independence on the table, Scotland could move towards another referendum on the issue within three to five years.

“This is the final call for Labour before Scotland moves towards independence,” he said.

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “Scottish Labour adopted federalism at our party conference in February and will continue to fight for a strong Scottish Parliament inside a United Kingdom that works for the many, not the few.”

“The General Election result showed that less than three years after rejecting separation in a once-in-a-generation referendum, Scots do not want another divisive independence referendum.”

Earlier in his speech McLeish criticised Jeremy Corbyn, saying the lack of campaigning from the Labour leader during the EU referendum had helped the Leave vote. “If Labour had half a campaign running before the referendum, Brexit would not have won,” he said.