PRIME Minister Andy Burnham has laid out the conditions for a second Scottish independence referendum.
Speaking at PMQs on Wednesday, Burnham said that the rules governing when a repeat of the 2014 vote could be held should be “exactly the same” as those for an Irish reunification referendum.
He made the comment when questioned on the Good Friday Agreement by SNP MP Chris Law. The agreement states that the UK Northern Ireland Secretary “shall” call a referendum on Irish reunification if it looks likely that the people would vote in support.
Burnham found himself under fire in August after he visited Belfast and said that a vote on Irish unity was “off the table”, apparently overriding the provision in the Good Friday Agreement.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, SNP MP Law said: “In response to my question last week, the Prime Minister stated that he is now very aware of every word in the Good Friday Agreement and will stick to it 100% as Prime Minister.
“So he will therefore know that the Northern Ireland Act contains a provision for a referendum on leaving the United Kingdom, but no equivalent provision exists within the law for Scotland.
“Does the Prime Minister recognise the people of Scotland have the same right, the equal right to choose their own future, and that the conditions for a second independence referendum should be set out in law?”
Burnham responded: “He mentions the Good Friday Agreement, and I will stick to it 100%.
“And I would also remind him on that question of a border poll, it is to be considered by the Northern Ireland Secretary when there is a clear consensus in the country, when public opinion has changed to the point where the call has to be considered.
“I would say exactly the same situation in Scotland.”
Burnham then added: “I am not aware that there is a majority of public support for another referendum, and until that changes, Mr Speaker, there won't be one.”
The Good Friday Agreement states that "the Secretary of State [for Northern Ireland] shall exercise the power [to call an Irish unity referendum] if at any time it appears likely to him that a majority of those voting would express a wish that Northern Ireland should cease to be part of the United Kingdom and form part of a united Ireland".
It adds that a repeat referendum should not be held "earlier than seven years after the holding of a previous poll".
The three most recent polls on Scottish independence have all found that the country would vote to leave the UK if there were a second referendum tomorrow.
The most recent, a survey by Survation for the Diffley Partnership, found that Scots would vote 52/48 to become independent, and that a majority also support more powers for the Holyrood parliament.
Last week, Law had asked Burnham about reports that he supported creating a written constitution for the UK, which currently uses an uncodified constitution.
The SNP had said that any such constitution would have to spell out a route for constituent nations to leave the Union.
Last month, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon reiterated her calls for objective conditions to be put in place to trigger a second independence referendum in order to end the current "undemocratic stalemate".
She pointed specifically to how Northern Ireland already has a process to trigger an Irish border poll, and said Scotland should have something similar.
After Prime Minister's Questions, Burnham official spokesperson declined to explain what had been meant by a "clear consensus".
"The PM has been repeatedly clear on this," the spokesperson said.
"In his call with the Scottish First Minister in his first week, the PM stated up front that another referendum on independence was off limits and, as our election manifesto makes clear, Labour does not support independence or another referendum."
