Commenting ahead of Keir Starmer’s appearance at the Scottish Labour conference, the SNP’s Depute Westminster leader, Mhairi Black MP said:
“Under Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar Labour have become a pro-Brexit party that are indistinguishable from the Tories on a whole range of issues.
“Like the Tories, they are intent on blocking the cast-iron democratic mandate for an independence referendum.
“And just like the Conservatives they are fully signed up to the unfolding catastrophe of Brexit and the huge damage it is inflicting on Scotland.
“This Scottish Labour conference is an opportunity for Starmer to show that he supports the basic principles of democracy and Scotland’s right to choose its own future – but we won’t hold our breath.
“Similarly, he should recognise that Scotland was forced out of the EU against our will by a Westminster government we didn’t vote for – but all we can expect is Starmer doubling down on his hard Brexit rhetoric to win Tory votes in England.
“He should also use this visit to Scotland to ban Labour councillors from working with the Tories – ending the coalitions across Scotland that were formed simply to lock the SNP out of power.
“Labour have no answers for Scotland on the key issues facing us as a nation – only independence will allow us a path back into the EU and rid of us of a corrupt, broken Westminster system where the Tories and Labour are increasingly hard to tell apart.”
