Brown denies Scottish referendum declaration

GORDON Brown today moved to defend and clarify comments made this week by Wendy Alexander about a Scottish independence referendum.

The Prime Minister denied that Ms Alexander, the Scottish Labour leader, had called for an immediate referendum on Scottish independence. Later today Ms Alexander defended her position and again rejected calls for her to step down as leader.

The scene earlier in the House of Commons was a classic Labour-Conservative verbal slugfest. When challenged by Tory leader David Cameron on Ms Alexander's comments, Mr Brown said: "That's not what she has said."

An incredulous Mr Cameron hit back by accusing the Prime Minister of "losing touch with reality" if he did not think this was the case.

Mr Cameron said following last Thursday's English and Welsh local elections the Prime Minister had said he would listen and lead.

"So let's start with an issue of leadership," Mr Cameron said during Question Time. "Labour's leader in Scotland, Wendy Alexander, says there should be a referendum now on Scottish independence. Do you agree with her?"

To Tory jeers, Mr Brown replied: "That is not what she has said.

"The Conservative Party, the Liberal Party and the Labour Party have joined together in setting up the Calman review, the commission on devolution. I hope we can see progress in that commission and we will review the progress before making any further decisions," Mr Brown said. "I thought that was the policy of the Conservative Party, who supported the commission."

Mr Cameron told him: "I think you are losing touch with reality. Wendy Alexander said: 'I don't fear the verdict of the Scottish people – bring it on.' What else could that possibly mean? So do you agree with her or not. It's not much leadership if no one's really following you."

Mr Brown said the commission had been set up to review the progress of devolution.

"I believe all parties in the House will welcome the fact that it is looking at all these issues. When we review the progress of the commission we can make further decisions," he said.

Mr Brown went on: "What the leader of the Labour Party in Scotland was pointing to was the hollowness of the SNP that said they wanted independence, said they wanted it immediately and now wanted to postpone a referendum until 2010-11.

"That's what she was pointing out and she was making it clear that what the SNP was doing was against their election manifesto."

Mr Cameron said: "The one thing people thought about you is that you were quite a good political fixer. You've now lost control of the Scottish Labour Party."

Deputy leader of the Scottish National Party's parliamentary group Stewart Hosie later raised a point of order accusing Mr Brown of inadvertently misleading the House over the Scottish Government's plans for a referendum.

Mr Hosie told MPs: "The Prime Minister said the Scottish Government was seeking to 'postpone a referendum in 2010/11' and that the Scottish Government was acting 'against its manifesto'.

"That manifesto was explicit in setting out a timetable for that referendum in 2010 and in misrepresenting this, I fear the Prime Minister has inadvertently misled the House.

"Far from the referendum being delayed or a manifesto promise broken it is one the Scottish Government intends to keep."

Speaker Michael Martin said the point of view of the Scottish Government and First Minister had now been put on the record and matters should be left there.

Speaking to BBC Scotland after the Commons session, Ms Alexander insisted Mr Brown was fully behind her attempts to expose the "hollowness" of the SNP's stance on a referendum.

When asked if she intended to quit, Ms Alexander responded: "Not at all."

Asked if her position was untenable, as claimed by SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon, Ms Alexander insisted: "I have the support of the Prime Minister, the Labour group of MSPs, of many party members, and indeed the people of Scotland, who feel they have the right to have a say on this matter.

"And it is wrong for the SNP to claim they favour independence but not to bring forward a choice for the Scottish people in a referendum before the end of this Parliament."

Ms Sturgeon was quoted as saying "Wendy Alexander's position is now completely untenable. At a stroke, Gordon Brown has destroyed her leadership – and placed serious questions over his own, given the number of inaccuracies in his PMQ answers."