Stephen Flynn, leader of SNP in Westminster, has said the leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer must accept the democratic will of Scotland if he becomes PM.
Speaking to Sky News, Flynn said the SNP has added “more meat to the bones” of a potential referendum bid at party conference
“What we would like to see is the power of an independence referendum transferred from Westminster to Holyrood, but also some of the key levers to allow us to resolve the cost of living crisis”, he explained.
Turning to UK-wide politics, he said that Labour looks “increasingly likely” to win the next general election, and called upon Sir Keir Starmer to engage in discussions with the SNP over a potential referendum.
“If he believes himself to be a democrat and the Scottish National Party wins a majority of seats in the general election next year, which I’m very confident we will, he needs to heed the democratic view of the people of Scotland.”
Questioned by host Kay Burley about former SNP MP Lisa Cameron’s comments that the party was like a “cult”, Flynn said he simply does not recognise them “in any way, shape or form”, before adding that some of the threats she has received are disgusting.
Last week, Cameron he hit out at the SNP Westminster group for failing to reach out during a period in which she suffered a “significant deterioration” in her “health and wellbeing”, something she suggests came as a result of “bullying”.
She says she was the “victim of abuse at the hands of an SNP MP” and adds that the “leadership supported the perpetrator’s interests”.
She also praised praised Rishi Sunak for “valuing my continued contribution to Parliament as a health professional”.
Her defection came days before the SNP annual conference got underway in Aberdeen. The get-together, which closes today with leader Humza Yousaf’s speech, has been dominated by independence strategy.
The SNP resolved at party conference that it will seek to open negotiations with the UK government if it wins a majority of seats at the next general election.
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