SCOTTISH Labour’s new leader has said he does “not really care” if rejoining the EU makes the route to Scottish independence easier.
Speaking to journalists in Edinburgh after delivering his first major speech at the head of Scottish Labour, Michael Marra also refused to say if he thought a referendum would be needed to reverse Brexit, or if a pledge in an election manifesto would be enough.
In his speech on Tuesday morning, Marra said his party policy was different from both UK Labour – which does not support rejoining the EU – and the SNP – which aims for an independent Scotland in the bloc.
"I’m not asking Scotland to choose. I’m asking Scotland to help bring the whole United Kingdom back into Europe,” he said. "Let’s use one union to join another. Solidarity, not separation."
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Speaking to media afterwards, Marra was asked if he was concerned that a UK back in Europe would make Scottish independence an “easier and smoother” process.
He responded: “What I'm doing is putting the interests of Scotland first in all of this. I believe Scotland, our economy can grow, the more opportunities for our young people within the EU. I think that that is what I'm putting front and centre. That is my view in terms of what's best for the country.
“If people think that there are other routes that come off of that, I don't really care if I'm honest, about some of that. What I care about is actually whether we can win the argument.
“I think my argument about working together is a consistent one. I believe that we should do that within the UK and I believe that we should do that within the EU.”
Asked to clarify his remarks, Marra added: “What I meant was, if people are making arguments saying that I shouldn't take a principled and rational stance about the EU because it might open up potential other routes for other arguments about other parts of the constitution, that's the part, in terms of the party politics, that I don't care about.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has reopened the debate around the EU since entering No 10 – and said in September that a future Labour manifesto could include a pledge for a re-run of the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Emily Thornberry, the senior Labour MP who chairs Westminster’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has said that a referendum would be unnecessary and the UK could rejoin the EU if a party pledged to do so in their election manifesto.
However, former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has said that could open the door to Scottish independence without a referendum by signalling that a parliamentary majority “is enough” to enact major constitutional change.
Asked if he thought rejoining the EU would require a referendum or not, Marra said “all of that is up for debate”, adding that he wanted to focus on “the destination and not just that mechanism”.
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“The big thing in this is to make the case and to build support across the country and build a broad consensus,” Marra said. “This is a long-term project. I don't see this happening in the next two years.”
SNP depute leader Keith Brown said: “It is good that Scottish Labour has finally accepted the obvious fact – that the UK ripping Scotland out of the EU against our will has been a disaster.
“Having accepted that people are able to revisit the EU referendum decision taken 10 years ago, how can any Labour Party politician now seriously claim Scotland can’t revisit the independence referendum decision taken 12 years ago?
“The UK Labour Government’s position is as clear as mud – the fact is the only way to guarantee Scotland’s EU membership is to rejoin as an independent member state."
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