Sir Keir Starmer has insisted there are no splits between Scottish and UK Labour, despite the party taking starkly different positions over the two-child benefit cap, bedroom tax and gender reform.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Leith, the leader of the opposition said anyone trying to find division would have a “long, long search”.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer defends u-turn on gender recognition self-id
The benefit cap, introduced by George Osborne, means that households claiming child tax credit or universal credit are unable to claim for a third or subsequent child.
There is an exemption where the child is the result of “non-consensual conception.”
However, the only way this can be claimed is for the mother to disclose their rape to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Last month, Sir Keir said an incoming Labour government would keep the policy.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he and colleagues in Scotland disagreed, and that they would “press” colleagues in Westminster to drop it.
Labour also shifted policy on gender recognition reform, insisting there needed to be some form of medical process when it comes to obtaining a gender recognition certificate.
Last Christmas, Mr Sarwar whipped his MSPs to back the Scottish Government's Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which scrapped the need for a trans person to have a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
And following the UK party's change of position, the party's Scottish social justice spokesman said it continued to support the "de-medicalisation" of the process.
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak welcomes Keir Starmer support for two-child limit
Speaking during a visit to Edinburgh on Monday, the Labour leader tried to play down any claims of a split.
“Anas and I have got a very, very strong working relationship,” he said.
“So anybody who’s trying to find division is going to have a very, very long search.
“We obviously talk about these issues a great deal.”
Sir Keir went on to say his party, if it were to win the keys to Downing Street at the next election, would implement an “anti-poverty strategy” that would not “simply be a question of welfare benefits”.
“I want to grow our economy and give everybody, including in Scotland and elsewhere, the opportunity to be part of that growing economy,” he said.
Sir Keir also responded to comments from First Minister Humza Yousaf at an Edinburgh Festival Fringe show that a minority Labour government would be “the best outcome for Scotland”.
The Labour leader said: “I want a majority Labour government so that we can fix and rebuild our country and take our country forward, so that’s what I’m aiming for.
“I’m not going to do a deal with the SNP, and among the reasons for that is the appalling record they’ve got in Government.
“So my ambition is to actually drive Britain forward to that better future that I’m absolutely convinced that we can achieve.”
READ MORE: Ian Blackford admits 'coup' behind his exit as SNP Westminster leader
Katy Loudon, the SNP’s candidate in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, branded the claims "ludicrous."
She said: “It only takes seconds to find the glaringly obvious divisions between Starmer, and his Scottish branch office. It is ludicrous to suggest otherwise.
“Some Scottish Labour figures have come out in strong opposition to Starmer’s pro-austerity and pro-two child cap policies, but their appeals have repeatedly fallen on deaf ears, proving that Anas Sarwar holds no real influence.
“And strong words from senior Scottish Labour figures mean nothing while their MPs and candidates gleefully sign up to voting through Starmer’s Tory-replica agenda in the House of Commons.
“The views of the branch office are clearly secondary to Keir Starmer’s desire to prop up the Tories’ punishing welfare agenda and damaging Brexit."
Maggie Chapman, the Scottish Greens’ Equalities and Human Rights spokesperson, said Labour's splits were clear to see.
"The contempt Starmer is showing for Scotland shouldn’t be clearer.
"It would be funny, and deserve a place in the comedy Fringe, if it weren’t so tragic. The idea that there aren’t splits in the Labour ranks is equally laughable.
"He is so desperate to gain power in Westminster that he’s prepared to throw his own party politicians - and Labour values - under the bus. It is as clear a case of Westminsteritis as you’ll ever see."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article