Labour would run ‘distinctive campaign’ in future independence vote – Baillie

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader has said the party would run a “distinctive campaign” in any future vote on independence.

Labour joined with the Tories and Lib Dems during the referendum campaign in 2014 to form Better Together – a partnership which some have suggested contributed to the decline of the party’s fortunes in Scotland.

Speaking at a fringe event during the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow, Jackie Baillie said the move was a mistake and one the party was not likely to repeat in a future vote.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she aims to hold another referendum by the end of next year but stonewalling from Westminster, as well as the possibility of a Holyrood-sanctioned referendum ending in court, has meant the timing is uncertain.

“We have been telling everyone for years that the Tories are terrible, then we co-operated with them,” she said in response to a question from a delegate.

“Don’t get me wrong, there was a greater issue at stake – which is the future of the United Kingdom – but I think we were wrong to have done that.

“I think we should have run distinctive campaigns.

“That’s what we chose to do at the time – I think we would run distinctive campaigns in the future.”

Meanwhile, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting reiterated the party’s stance that it would not enter into any pact with the SNP following the next election.

Speaking during the same event, Mr Streeting said: “There will certainly be no progressive alliance with the SNP – they’re a party that wants to fundamentally break our country.”

He added: “No one should look at the SNP and see our friends – they are not.

“As for this question which I’m sure is going to come up again and again and again in the run up to the next general election, especially if the polls look tight and Labour might be the largest party but not a majority – people say ‘are you going to do a deal with the SNP?’

“Absolutely not. We don’t need to.”