LABOUR leader Keir Starmer struggled to explain why he no longer believes the SNP would have a mandate for a new Scottish independence referendum if they win a Holyrood majority next year during a visit to Edinburgh today.

In his first visit to Scotland since becoming the party’s leader, Starmer was challenged on why he said in January that the SNP would have a mandate for indyref2 under those circumstances but now argues a new vote is not needed.

His visit, which follows Scottish Labour MSPs' efforts to oust Richard Leonard from office, comes days after he insisted he strongly supports the United Kingdom and that “no-one in the Labour Party wants the UK broken up”.

Polling this year has shown that between a third and 40% of Scottish Labour voters would back independence. It has also shown a major shift in support for independence, with surveys showing the percentage of Scots now backing ending the Union between 53% and 55%.

The UK Government has not published its own polling on the issue, but it is understood that it shows the figure even higher than that.

ITV Border asked Starmer: “When I interviewed you on January 20 I asked if the SNP win a majority in the Parliament in the next Scottish elections, will they have a mandate for a second independence referendum – you told me, and I’m quoting you directly, you will have a mandate for that. You’ve changed your mind. Why?”

Starmer replied: “Well I don’t think that with a pandemic like this another divisive referendum is what anybody wants. And that’s why we will be focusing on what we see as the issues that really matter going into the next election which is what we’re doing to defeat the virus obviously but the economic fall-out, how we rebuild the economy and rebuild public services. So this about focus on what I think really matters in the here and now.”

The reporter pushed further, pointing to Starmer’s own criticism of the UK Government’s intention to breach international law by overriding the Withdrawal Agreement in the Internal Market Bill.

The journalist told him: “You’ve criticised the UK Government for ignoring parliament, ignoring law. The SNP would say if we win a democratic election with a commitment to a referendum we have that mandate. Why don’t they?”

The Labour leader answered the question by repeating parts of his first response.

“Well what I am saying is the campaign that we will run into May it will be based on the focus of the pandemic, rebuilding the economy, rebuilding public services, the things I think really matter most, not a divisive further referendum which I don’t think is what people want at the moment in Scotland,” he told the broadcaster.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer to visit Scotland just days after saying indyref2 was 'not needed'

SNP MP John Nicolson commented: "Keir looks uncomfortable. He likes to give straight answers to questions and wasn’t doing so here.

"But let’s test his contention about what 'people want' at the Holyrood elections."

Asked last week if he would stand in the way of indyref2, Starmer said: “We will go into the elections in Scotland making the argument for the Union and making the argument that we don’t need a referendum.

“Obviously that election is in May of next year and we’ll make the best case we can between now and then.”

Recent polling shows Scottish Labour is struggling to win over voters and could be on track to lose MSPs at next year’s vote.

The SNP is on track to win its second majority since the Scottish Parliament was re-established 21 years ago.