RICHARD Leonard has met John McDonnell to try to fix their row over an independence referendum - but appears not to have changed the shadow chancellor’s mind.
The Scottish Labour leader was humiliated by Mr McDonnell on Tuesday, after the latter said a UK Labour government would not block Indyref2.
Speaking on the Edinburgh Fringe, Mr McDonnell said: "It will be for the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish people to decide that. We would not block something like that.
“We would let the Scottish people decide. That's democracy.”
READ MORE: Labour 'would not block a second Scottish independence referendum'
His comments flatly contradicted Mr Leonard’s position in March, when he said Labour would block a new vote, even if the Scottish Parliament wanted it.
Now Mr Leonard has broken his silence on the issue after a meeting with Mr McDonnell.
He said he had told Mr McDonnell that Indyref2 was unwanted, unnecessary, and that the two men agreed that independence would lead to "turbo-charged austerity".
However Mr Leonard conspicuously failed to say if Mr McDonnell had backed down and whether a Labour government would now block a referendum.
Mr Leonard said: “I met with John this morning, and I made clear to him that a second independence referendum is unwanted by the people of Scotland and it is unnecessary.
“The 2014 referendum was a once in a generation vote.
“There is no economic case for independence, especially with the SNP’s new position of ditching the pound and new policy of turbo-charged austerity to bear down on the deficit.
“On that John McDonnell and I are in firm agreement - what Scotland needs is radical reforming Labour governments at Holyrood and Westminster.”
READ MORE: Ruth Davidson accuses Labour of 'rank betrayal' over independence referendum
Mr McDonnell’s message caused delight in the SNP and despair among some Labour MPs.
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said Labour’s U-turn was a “rank betrayal” of the 2m voters who backed the Union in 2014.
Mr McDonnell is due to speak again on the Edinburgh Fringe today.
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