General election: Corbyn rows back on dismissal of second Scottish referendum
Corbyn first says there will be no vote in his first term, but aides then say this could change after Holyrood elections in 2021.
Wednesday 13 November 2019 20:38, UK
Jeremy Corbyn has rowed back on his pledge not to call another Scottish independence referendum in his first term if he becomes prime minister.
The Labour leader initially said there would be "no referendum in the first term for a Labour government" even if the SNP wins a majority of seats in Scotland in the general election.
However, his aides later clarified that Labour's position may be altered if the SNP win a majority in Holyrood when the next Scottish Parliament election is held in 2021 - which would be two years into the next government's term.
Asked to clarify his stance hours later, Mr Corbyn said he did "not countenance" another independence referendum in "the early years" of a Labour government.
"I think the confusion is with you, if I may say so, not me," he said in an interview at Tannochside Miners Welfare Club in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire.
"We will not countenance an indy referendum in the early years of a Labour government because our priorities will be elsewhere."
Pressed further on whether he would allow a vote if the SNP took Holyrood, the Labour leader said: "I'm not in favour of it at all because I think the priorities for Scotland are ending inequality, poverty and injustice across Scotland and independence will bring with it an economic problem for Scotland."
Mr Corbyn was speaking at the beginning of a two-day tour of Scotland in the second week of the election campaign, with less than a month to go until polling day on 12 December.
The Labour leader also said on the campaign trail that the leader of Islamic State should have been taken alive and put on trial.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi blew himself up with a suicide vest during a raid by US special forces in Syria last month.
Mr Corbyn said that while al-Baghdadi's removal was a "very good thing", the "right thing to do" would have been to put him before the International Criminal Court.
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In London, shadow chancellor John McDonnell and shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth announced Labour's plans to pump an extra £26bn in real-terms into the NHS by 2024.
The shadow health secretary said the NHS would be "literally rebuilt" by Labour as he also pledged an additional £15bn in capital investment to rebuild "crumbling hospitals".
Addressing overseas recruitment, Mr McDonnell said NHS trusts "will be able to recruit internationally" if they feel a "doctor, a nurse, a surgeon" has the right qualifications.
And Mr Ashworth said the current "obnoxious" scheme charging non-EU patients to get treatment under the NHS would be "suspended".
Following Labour's announcement that they want to reduce the working week to 32 hours, Mr McDonnell said that would be introduced over a 10 year period "as we grow the economy".
"We work to live, we don't live to work - that will apply to everybody," he said.
Mr Ashworth had earlier said the shortened work week would not apply to NHS workers, but Mr McDonnell said it eventually would over the 10 years.
Boris Johnson, meanwhile, gave his first keynote speech of the campaign in the West Midlands.
The prime minister said "the only way to get Brexit done at this election is to vote for the Conservatives and to hope that we can get a working majority".
He added: "Because a vote, alas, for any other party would simply lead to a premiership of Jeremy Corbyn in coalition with Nicola Sturgeon and, as I said earlier, on two referendums next year, when I think the people of this country really want to make so much more progress on other things."
Reacting to Mr Corbyn's remarks about al-Baghdadi, Mr Johnson accused the Labour leader of being "naive to the point of being dangerous".
Mr Johnson visited areas where homes have been destroyed by flooding in South Yorkshire - and faced short shrift from some residents.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson visited a boxing club in north London that trains young people to try to deter them from gang culture.
She insisted she was not losing control of candidates, after one stood down in the tight Tory-Labour marginal of Canterbury to help Remainer Rosie Duffield, who is fighting to retain her seat.
"We have a healthy debate within the party and some candidates have made their own decisions," she said.
Brexit Party Nigel Farage went on a similar visit, also donning boxing gloves at a club in east London to proclaim he would fight for Leave-voting areas.
He vowed not to stand down any more candidates that some have warned will split the pro-Brexit vote.
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