Labour bigwig demands Jeremy Corbyn DERAILS Brexit
GETTY Former Scottish first minister Henry McLeish called on Corbyn to derail Brexit
Former Scottish first minister Henry McLeish, who served from 2000 to 2001, urged Jeremy Corbyn to utilise what he called the “natural majority” within Westminster for staying in the EU to engineer a rebellion. His comments come as Prime Minister Theresa May was preparing to make a major speech on the UK’s future post-Brexit. Speaking at his book launch, Mr McLeish said: "Can I also say to Labour's leader at this point, if Labour had half a campaign running before the referendum, Brexit would not have won. "The second point then is an invitation to Jeremy and John McDonnell to put their own ideas of the EU and Europe behind them and use the House of Commons and/or another referendum to make sure that there's a proper debate on this empty box that we voted on, once it is filled up.
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"We are internationalists, Labour. By instinct and history we believe that protections for employees should be in place and not squandered in the return of legislation to Britain. "There are so many pressing needs that Labour could embrace and I believe that the leadership of the Labour Party should now four-square be behind remaining." While he had his hopes pinned on a constitutional answer to Scotland’s problems with the UK, he said he would throw his weight behind an independent Scotland in the event of Brexit.
GETTY His comments come as Prime Minister Theresa May was preparing to make a major speech
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, he described Brexit as a "national act of self-harm" with "simply no benefits". He said: "We (Labour) have done ourselves a whole lot of damage by pretending that this will go away. “It isn't going to go away and Labour must now rejoin enthusiastically the constitutional debate and not press for a vote on independence, another referendum on independence, but a referendum on the future of Scotland, and that could have another question.
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We have done ourselves a whole lot of damage by pretending that this will go away Henry McLeish
"I make an appeal to the Labour Party, do not be afraid of the constitutional question. "You cannot go around and say to Scots, we're against having another referendum.
GETTY Scotland could move towards another referendum on the issue within three to five years, he says
“If Scots want another referendum they shall have another referendum. "The way to defeat independence if you're Labour is to engage in the battle, engage in the referendum, win your case, win the vote. And as a democrat, that's what they should be doing."
GETTY Speaking at his book launch, Mr McLeish laid into Brexit