A SCOTTISH Labour candidate for Holyrood has been removed by the party after she backed indyref2.
Hollie Cameron, who was standing for the Glasgow Kelvin constituency, suggested in an exclusive interview with the Sunday National that a second vote on Scottish independence could take place in the next parliamentary term.
Ahead of the upcoming May election, she said that her party "respects the right" to hold a second vote and that it “should be when the public wants” but added it was "not something I am going to be putting on my leaflets".
READ MORE: Labour candidate for Holyrood backs indyref2 but says there is 'quibble' over timing
“I think we can consider our constitution and rebuild after Covid if there is the political will to do that,” she said. “It is just a matter of whether you think we should have that in the next parliamentary term or not. I say why not?”
LabourList reported that Cameron was re-interviewed by a Labour Scottish executive committee interview panel and was not able to satisfy the party that she would follow the Scottish Labour group whip if elected as an MSP.
Cameron told the Sunday National: “I do know the Scottish Labour Party has a policy that says the right to have a referendum is something the Scottish Labour Party respects.
“The only quibble appears to be the timing and there are different opinions in the Labour Party.
“There are some of us who think that timing should be when the public wants and when the electorate wants to have that referendum.
“And there are those who say we can’t possibly have a referendum while trying to rebuild our country after Covid.
“That to me is something that is not mutually exclusive – I think we can consider our constitution and rebuild after Covid if there is the political will to do that.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who was newly elected last month, has argued that another referendum is not credible at this time.
Asked about Cameron’s comments yesterday, Sarwar said: “We do not have the luxury of our party pulling apart at this time, when we actually need a unified Labour Party serious about rebuilding our country.
“It is a policy position, I should add, that is supported by our Scottish policy forum process and agreed by our Scottish executive committee, the democratic structures.”
Scottish Labour have been contacted for comment.
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