ANDY Burnham has written to John Swinney in response to the First Minister's calls for a legal mechanism for a second Scottish independence referendum.
The SNP leader wrote to the Prime Minister after he said in the Commons on Wednesday that the rules governing when a repeat of the 2014 vote in Scotland can be held should be “exactly the same” as those for an Irish reunification referendum.
The Good Friday 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.
Several recent polls have indicated there is majority support for Scottish independence, while the Scottish Parliament now has a record number of independence-supporting MSPs.
Swinney wrote to Burnham after the Commons remarks to invite him to meet to agree a "legal mechanism" which would trigger a second Scottish independence referendum.
However, in his response, Burnham said Northern Ireland and Scotland have "distinct constitutional arrangements" and claimed he was only highlighting "there is no consensus for an independence referendum in Scotland".
The Prime Minister added there is also "no clear basis" to suggest a majority in Northern Ireland would vote for Irish reunification.
The full letter from Burnham reads:
Dear John,
Thank you for your letter of 9 September regarding my exchanges that day in the House of Commons, specifically in answer to a question by Chris Law MP.
As we all recognise, Northern Ireland and Scotland have different historical experiences and therefore distinct constitutional arrangements. In my remarks, I was simply highlighting that there is no consensus for an independence referendum in Scotland and nor is there a clear basis to suggest that a majority of people in Northern Ireland presently wish to separate from the United Kingdom.
Unlike the situation today, ahead of 2014 such a consensus did exist across both the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament, across all political parties and across civic society. In that referendum the people of Scotland made clear their continued commitment to Scotland remaining part of the UK.
The 2024 manifesto on which Labour secured its parliamentary majority was unambiguous: “Labour does not support independence or another referendum.” As I made clear to you personally when we met recently in Glasgow, independence and a referendum are off limits as it would take our focus away from growing the economy and helping families with the cost of living.
I and my Government are keen to work with you and the Scottish Government to ensure Scotland, as part of the UK, is rewired to work for people and I am looking forward to progressing that shared agenda with you at our meeting of the National Economic Council where the focus will be on driving growth, opportunity and prosperity in every part of the UK.
Yours sincerely, Andy Burnham
