JEREMY Corbyn has signalled that he may give the Scottish Government the power to hold a second independence referendum if he becomes Prime Minister.

The Labour leader said he would “decide at the time” what to do if Nicola Sturgeon asked for his consent as she is required to do under UK law in order to hold a legally binding vote.

In an interview ahead of his party’s conference this weekend, Corbyn was asked what he would do if the First Minister asked for the required legal mechanism to hold a second plebiscite if he was PM.

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“We would obviously decide at the time”, he replied.

He later added: “Things will be very different in Scotland with an ally in Westminster like a Labour government.”

When asked whether he was ruling out giving the First Minister consent for a referendum to be held, Corbyn responded: “I’m not ruling out – I’m just pointing out the reality.”

His intervention comes just weeks after an opinion poll by Deltapoll reported there would be majority support for Yes if a referendum was held after Brexit. It found 47% of Scots would support independence, 43% would opt to stay part of the Union, while 10% didn’t know. Removing “don’t knows”, the result was 52% Yes, and 48% No.

The National:

SNP depute leader Keith Brown. Photograph: PA

Responding to Corbyn’s comments Keith Brown, the SNP’s depute leader, said: “We already have the democratic mandate to give the people of Scotland a choice over their future – a position backed by the Scottish Parliament. For any Prime Minister to stand in the way of that would be a democratic outrage.

“Of course, it used to be the case that Labour thought the people of Scotland were sovereign and should determine their own future. Now, apparently, it’s down to the whim of the MP for Islington North.”

In the BBC Scotland interview yesterday Corbyn went on to say he didn’t want another referendum and did not think it was a good idea, adding: “We think what’s more important is dealing with child poverty, housing problems and lack of investment in Scotland – 200,000 more children going into poverty has to be dealt with. A referendum will not solve that.”

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He said a Labour government would invest money in Scotland through a £20 billion transformation fund and a £3bn increase in revenue spending.

In May last year, the then Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said the party’s Holyrood election manifesto gave a “cast-iron guarantee” that it would oppose a second referendum.

It came two months after Corbyn said he would be “absolutely fine” with another independence referendum, and that Labour “wouldn’t block it” if the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of one being held – which it has since done. His comments were heavily criticised at the time by senior Scottish Labour figures including MSP Jackie Baillie and MP Ian Murray.

Responding to the Labour leader’s latest remarks, Scottish Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins said: “Every time Jeremy Corbyn talks about Scotland he gives yet another concession to the SNP.”

The National:

Willie Rennie also had his say on Corbyn's comments

Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie said: “This is an extraordinary opinion from Jeremy Corbyn. So many people with moderate and progressive views will be horrified by this careless attitude towards the UK. Liberal Democrats are opposed to independence and opposed to another divisive independence referendum.”

The First Minister has said she will give an update on her timetable for a new independence referendum this autumn “once the terms of Brexit are clear”. Theresa May last year refused to grant the Scottish Government the power to hold a referendum. She has until mid-November to agree the terms of the UK’s exit from the EU with European leaders, as well as the principles of a future relationship.