RICHARD Leonard has condemned Boris Johnson’s “demagoguery” after the Prime Minister rejected a Section 30 order request from Holyrood.
The Scottish Labour leader warned the move will not quell calls for independence and called for "Home Rule" for Scotland within the UK.
He said: "I have long argued that the future of Scotland will be won and lost in Scotland, and not on the banks of the river Thames.
“Boris Johnson’s decision to block a second independence referendum in perpetuity does not change this.
“And it is spectacular naively to think this will close the issue down. It will only inflame the debate, as Boris Johnson’s history of demagoguery and division shows he is well practiced in doing.”
Johnson was accused of trying to “block democracy” by Nicola Sturgeon after he rejected her request to give Holyrood the power required to hold indyref2.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson publishes response to SNP's Section 30 request
Though the Prime Minister was the focus of Leonard’s ire, he also attacked the SNP before advocating “Home Rule”.
The Scottish Labour leader continued: "Scotland and the whole UK are deeply unequal societies which desperately need radical change. But the Tories are hell-bent on destroying what is left of the welfare state, and the SNP are advocating a decade of cuts in a separate Scottish state.
"The people of Scotland rejected independence in 2014, but Scotland remains divided. I believe that Home Rule within the UK is the only viable option that stands a chance of healing the divisions in our society.
“We can’t wait for a UK Labour government to deliver this, so we must demand it now and mobilise for radical change."
Leonard’s intervention comes after Labour shelved plans for a special conference which would have considered support for a second independence referendum.
READ MORE: Richard Leonard ditches plan to discuss second referendum
The Scottish Labour leader was reportedly in favour of holding a meeting in the spring to discuss backing of a multi-option vote. But the proposals were rejected by the party’s executive committee over the weekend.
An earlier statement reacting to the Section 30 rejection from Scottish Labour constitution spokesman Alex Rowley read: "The immediate priority for both the Prime Minister and the First Minister should be minimising the damage caused by Brexit.
"There are conversations to be had in the future about other issues but at the moment the focus should be on protecting Scotland's interests in the face of our imminent exit from the EU."
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