THE front-runner in the Scottish Labour deputy leadership election has ruled out supporting a second Scottish independence referendum in a new column.
Jackie Baillie wrote a Scotsman column outlining why Labour should "hold true to our party’s values" and not allow indyref2 to be held.
The former Better Together board director and MSP is running against councillor Matt Kerr for the position, which was vacated when Lesley Laird lost her seat at December's General Election.
In recent months a number of high-profile Scottish Labour figures have spoken out in favour of holding a second Scottish independence referendum, but have clarified they do not support independence itself. MSPs like Monica Lennon and Neil Findlay have been among those to do so.
READ MORE: Jackie Baillie: All about the Scottish Labour deputy leader hopeful
Writing in the newspaper, Baillie said: "Some in my party are willing to walk into precisely the same trap that David Cameron walked into by agreeing to a referendum on EU membership when he didn’t want to leave. Look how that worked out for him.
"We are nothing if we don’t hold true to our party’s values. We have just suffered a crushing General Election defeat at the hands of Boris Johnson, who now has a commanding majority in the Commons. But does that mean we now support the Tories’ cruel immigration policy or the creeping privatisation of the NHS? Of course not."
She went on to criticise her colleague's support for indyref2, adding: "They fail to recognise that we are the third party in Holyrood, with only one MP at Westminster - Ian Murray - who won in Edinburgh South because he held firm against any attempt to pander to the SNP. We are fighting for our relevance and our survival."
READ MORE: Scottish Labour deputy hopeful Matt Kerr faces disciplinary action
Under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, Labour's policy was not to rule out indyref2 - but they would not grant a Section 30 order in the first few years of a Labour government.
Last year a number of polls suggested more than a third of Scottish Labour voters could be in favour of Scottish independence.
And Scotland-wide polls have indicated a majority of Scots support indyref2 being held - with backing for independence put in the lead in three consecutive studies.
Scottish Labour will announce their new deputy leader on April 3.
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