Shadow Scotland Secretary Ian Murray has said that an attempt from the SNP to deliver a second independence referendum would be a "complete dereliction of duty" for Scotland.
Speaking on Times Radio, the Labour MP said Scots don't currently want independence and emphasised the more pressing concerns facing the country, including the post-coronavirus economy.
Mr Murray said: "What we're looking at at the moment is, according to their own government analysis and their own government experts Scotland, that Scotland will have one of the worst economies, post-covid, in the developed world.
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"That should be the concentration of any potential First Minister, and if Nicola Sturgeon puts a manifesto together with just one line in it that says 'vote for us and we'll deliver a second independence referendum', then I think that will be a complete dereliction of duty and I hope that Scots would see that as not being their priority.
"Scots don't want this at the moment.
"Poll after poll after poll - even the most ardent yes voters don't want a referendum at the moment."
Earlier today, Mr Murray appeared on Sophy Ridge on Sunday said he was “glad” he stayed in the Labour Party, following a report he considered joining the breakaway Independent Group of MPs before changing his mind at the last minute.
A photo of Mr Murray at an event with other MPs from the now-defunct group emerged alongside the book Left Out, which covered Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party.
The Edinburgh South MP was asked if he had “dodged a bit of a bullet” by deciding against joining the other seven Labour MPs in the rebel group, which was also known as Change UK.
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He said: “I think over that period of time many people in the Labour Party, whether it be the PLP or ordinary members, looked very seriously at whether or not the Labour Party still held the values that they held.”
He continued: “I want to fight against inequality and poverty and the Labour Party can do that.
“I’m glad I stayed, we’re now under new leadership and new management.”
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