ANDY Burnham has failed to define what he means by “once in a generation” after insisting now is not the time for a second Scottish referendum.
The Prime Minister insisted that there was no “clear consensus” for a second referendum despite polling this week by Norstat showing that 56% of Scots said indyref2 should be held in the next 10 years.
Burnham was quizzed by STV News if he believed Scotland had the right to determine its own future after he said a second referendum was “off the table”.
Burnham was asked by Colin Mackay: “So you don't think the people of Scotland have the right to decide their own future now?”
The Prime Minister replied: “Well they did, is the point I'm saying.”
Mackay interjected: “So you don't think they have the right to do it again.”
Burnham said: “Well, they have that right, it was determined, the future was determined, I would say for a generation.”
Mackay replied: “What would you consider a generation then?
“It's about where people are, isn't it? And things have changed as far as I can see.
Burnham said: “There is no clear consensus, and so the important thing is not to focus on something that would be a matter of huge division, because there's no clear consensus.
“The right thing to do is to focus on the cost of living and also for me to invite the First Minister to Number 10 North here, which I have done as part of a National Economic Council to discuss how can we help with further devolution and particularly getting more power down to the city level, to the town level, to the grassroot communities across Scotland.”
Mackay replied: “But if the public's view changed on that and you saw the public's view change on that, as you suggested in the Commons, there could be still a democratic path to another referendum.”
Earlier this month, Burnham said the rules governing when a repeat of the 2014 vote could be held should be “exactly the same” as those for an Irish reunification referendum.
The Good Friday Agreement states that the UK Northern Ireland Secretary “shall” call a referendum on Irish reunification if it looks likely that the people would vote in support.
Replying to Mackay's question, Burnham said: “The point I'm making is, I support solidarity between the nations of the UK. I don't support separation, so let me be absolutely plain.”
To which Mackay said: “So you're a Unionist?”
Burnham replied: “I think Britain works better together.”
Mackay asked again: “So you’re a Unionist?”
“Yeah, I support Britain," the Prime Minister said.
Mackay once again asked: “So you're a unionist?”
Burnham then said: “Yes, I support the Union. Let me make that absolutely plain, I support the Union.”
Mackay then said: “Is the Union safe in your hands?”
Burnham then replied: “I personally don't think it would be good for people here in the north of England – and we felt that at the time of the Scottish referendum – for that rupture to come across the Border.
“So I'm gonna be plain with you about that, that is my view.
“I don't think now is the time for another referendum.
“I don't think public opinion in Scotland supports that because there isn't a clearer consensus.”
Burnham’s comments come after pollsters Norstat found that 26.9% of Scots thought there should be another referendum in the next year or two years, 20.7% said it should come in the next three to five years while 8% said in the next six to 10 years.
Some 12.6% of people said there should be another vote more than 10 years from now, while 20% said there should never be another referendum and 11% said they did not know.
Altogether, that means 68.2% of Scots agree there should be a second Scottish independence referendum at some point in the future.
Elsewhere, among those likely to vote, 52% said they would vote Yes while 48% said they would oppose independence.
It comes after an Ipsos poll found that 48% of Scots supported having another referendum within this parliamentary term or the next five years, and the number of people saying “never” stood at 22%.
That survey found that between 18% to 24% of Unionist voters, depending on party allegiance, backed a second referendum in the next five years.
SNP Depute Leader, Keith Brown MSP, said he welcomed the fact that the Prime Minister agreed once again that Scotland has the right to decide its own future.
He said: “A simple democratic concept that Holyrood - with the support of Scottish Labour - has endorsed too.
“The age of Westminster is coming to an end and we now need these very reasonable steps forward to be an agreed process.
“Through a fresh start with independence we can build a wealthier Scotland back home in the EU - that is a future that the Scottish people should be able to take forward at a time of their choosing.”
