BREXIT has left Scotland more united than ever, Michael Russell has claimed.

The Scottish Constitutional Relations secretary made the remarks ahead of a rally for Europe being held in Edinburgh today.

He said with Britain “deep in the mire of the most serious political crisis facing the UK for as long as many can remember” it was time “in the interests of all our futures” for Theresa May to “show political leadership” and extend Article 50 to allow a so-called People’s Vote on on EU membership.

Speaking alongside Russell at the rally is Labour MP Ian Murray, who has long advocated for that second vote.

However, the prospect of a new referendum was dented yesterday, when a senior ally of Jeremy Corbyn claimed it would affect the relationship between politicians and the public.

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MPs are set to debate and vote on a series of amendments to the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal next Tuesday.

Last Thursday a planned cross-party amendment which, if backed by a majority in the Commons, would have changed May’s Brexit plan and forced a People’s Vote. was dropped, with organisers saying it had little chance of passing without Corbyn’s support.

Comments by Labour MP Ian Lavery yesterday suggested that the party’s leadership were still reluctant.

The best solution would be a Labour Government, Lavery wrote in the Guardian, “not rerunning a divisive campaign that seems likely to deliver the same result again and do nothing to answer the demand of a country crying out for real change”.

The National:

Murray, however, hasn’t given up. He’s tabled an amendment to Corbyn’s amendment to May’s Brexit deal which the Commons will vote on next Tuesday.

Speaking ahead of the rally, Murray said: “It’s clear that we must seek to extend the Article 50 process to avoid a no-deal Brexit.

“Labour Party policy, as endorsed by party conference, should be to support a People’s Vote, and it’s time for the leadership to come off the fence and get fully behind this.”

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Meanwhile, Chancellor Philip Hammond has refused to rule out resigning from cabinet, if May backs a no-deal Brexit. Hammond, appearing on the BBC’s Today programme, was repeatedly asked if he could remain in the Government if the Prime Minister decided to take the UK out of the European Union without a Withdrawal Agreement.

“I’m not going to speculate because a lot depends on the circumstances, what happens,” he said.

“The responsibility I have is to manage the economy in what is the best interests of the British people.

“I clearly do not believe that making a choice to leave without a deal would be a responsible thing to do, but I recognise that that is potentially a default that we could find ourselves in, and if we did find ourselves in that position then the responsible thing to do is to use every possible way of mitigating and minimising the impact,” he added.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell branded Hammond “gutless”.

“He knows how bad a no-deal Brexit would be for the jobs and livelihoods of our people and yet he won’t come out and stand up to Theresa May,” he said.

Work and Pension secretary Amber Rudd has also hinted at resigning.