LABOUR leadership challenger Owen Smith dismissed the list of broken promises made to Scotland in the Better Together campaign as “contingent on Labour being in power”.
In the run-up to the Scottish independence referendum, Labour vowed to continue EU membership, invest in carbon capture programmes, create a secure economy and pensions, and build 13 new Type 26 frigates.
However, Smith is now saying: “All of those promises were contingent on Labour being in power and Labour isn’t in power.”
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He added that Labour would “be able to make good on our promises” if they were in power, but fears that his leadership rival Jeremy Corbyn would leave them in “perpetual opposition”.
Smith also suggested Labour in Scotland would be forced to follow the UK party’s line of supporting the renewal of Trident, even though the Scottish party have declared their opposition.
SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald said he found it “galling” that Smith had “brushed off” the promises made to the people of Scotland on EU membership and on shipbuilding during the independence referendum campaign. Such a dismissive attitude to these broken promises only reminds people in Scotland that Labour campaigned shoulder-to-shoulder with the Tories during the referendum – a fact that has haunted Labour ever since and which will continue to do so,” he said.
Speaking on Radio Scotland yesterday, Smith also said he had no idea why party members laughed when he said Scottish leader Kezia Dugdale was doing a good job at the recent leadership hustings in Glasgow.
Smith said his Scottish ally, who has backed his bid to replace Jeremy Corbyn, is “doing a terrific job” leading the Labour Party in Scotland.
He questioned why a “Labour-supporting audience” were so disparaging about Dugdale.
“I thought it was very peculiar for a Labour audience, ostensibly a Labour-supporting audience, to say anything disparaging about the leader of the Labour Party in Scotland,” he said.
Smith also contradicted the Scottish party’s policy after insisting he would not oppose a second Scottish independence vote.
His controversial stance flies in the face of Scottish Labour’s opposition to a second independence referendum laid down in its current parliamentary term as a manifesto commitment for the 2016 elections. Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who publicly backed Smith as leader against Corbyn, has spoken out against holding another referendum. When asked if he would block a second independence referendum Smith replied: “No, of course not.” Now Scottish Labour insiders say this only adds weight to their calls for Dugdale to step down and that Smith’s latest comments undermines Scottish Labour’s commitment to opposing a second referendum.
Smith said he backed a second vote on EU membership and would not oppose another referendum on Scottish independence.
He said: “If the Scottish people chose that that’s what they wanted, and there was agreement in the Labour Party, that would be for them to determine it but my point is that I think Scotland is much better off within the UK.”
Asked if Scottish Labour should discuss the issue of backing independence, Smith said there were “many things that are far more pressing and important than re-running the referendum in Scotland, on which there was a clear decision just a few months ago.”
On Trident, Smith was asked: “If you became prime minister and Scottish Labour said they wanted Trident removed from the Clyde, what would your answer be?” He replied: “I think my answer would be that is Labour Party policy across the whole of the UK to retain it and ...”
Smith was then asked: “So that trumps Scottish Labour’s position then?” He responded: “I think overall, in something as important as this, yes, that isn’t devolved, it does.”
MacDonald said: “Owen Smith – the candidate backed by Kezia Dugdale – is completely at odds with Scottish Labour on a second referendum and on Trident, but we welcome a Labour voice acknowledging it is ultimately for the Scottish people to decide on a second referendum.”
The Scottish Conservatives said Smith’s comments on an independence vote was further evidence of “a Labour Party in complete chaos”.
Chief whip John Lamont said: “Scottish Labour’s deputy leader said he would not oppose a second referendum, the Scottish leader slapped him down, only for Owen Smith to back him up. Labour is in a mess.”
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