Keir Starmer says second indyref 'won’t happen' even if SNP are re-elected

Sir Keir Starmer has said a second Scottish independence referendum “won’t happen” on his watch, even if the SNP or a pro-indy majority are elected to Holyrood next year.

Speaking to STV News on Thursday, the Prime Minister called the subject of Scottish independence a “distraction tactic” by the SNP.

“We’re not having an independence referendum – it won’t happen,” Starmer said.

“It is a distraction tactic which is always deployed by the SNP when they don’t want a discussion about their record.”

Although the Prime Minister said John Swinney has the right to form a Scottish Government if his party wins the most MSPs next year, he said the Holyrood elections are still a “long way out”.

He added that an SNP majority would give Swinney’s nationalist party a “third decade in power”.

Starmer refused to say that the buck stopped with him if Scottish Labour loses Holyrood next year.

‘We’re working very hard for a deal on Scottish whisky’

Meanwhile the Prime Minister still hopes that he can strike a deal with the United States to remove whisky tariffs, despite Donald Trump’s second state visit to the UK ending without an agreement made.

Starmer told STV News that he “raised the issue personally with the President” during his visit, and said the UK Government is still working to strike a deal “as soon as possible”.

“We’re working very hard on this,” the Prime Minister said.

“I know just how important whisky is to Scotland and just how important it is that we get the arrangement we need with the US.”

Starmer referenced a whisky deal struck with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the summer, which will see tariffs slashed from 150% to 75%, and potentially dropping to 40% in the next decade.

The deal could see an extra £190m pour into Scotland.

Starmer added: “I want to bring forward the India deal so we can implement it as quickly as possible because that will give extra opportunities for whisky.”