Scotland's Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth has accused UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham of acting like the "first prime minister of England". She made the comments while calling on the Labour leader to have the "courage" to hold a second independence referendum.
Criticism on the day of Burnham's Scotland visit
Ms Gilruth's remarks came on the same day Mr Burnham travelled north to make his first major speech in Scotland since entering Downing Street. In the speech, he said he wanted to "move beyond the old politics of conflict" and offered to work with the SNP to deepen devolution.
Speaking at the SNP conference in Aberdeen, Ms Gilruth said most of his big announcements since taking office "seem to be England only". She said he was "already acting like the first prime minister of England".
Accusations of an England-only agenda
Ms Gilruth said: "Every major announcement he makes seems to be England only. He even creates a 'Number 10 North' – but puts it firmly in the southern half of the UK." She added it was a "real shame" he had not been able to attend the SNP conference, noting that Labour leaders are welcome there, "as my wife can attest" – a reference to her marriage to former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has previously claimed Mr Burnham will be the last prime minister of the United Kingdom, a jibe made when he met the nationalist first ministers of Wales and Northern Ireland last month.
Call for a second referendum
Ms Gilruth told Mr Burnham to "have the courage of your convictions" and permit a second referendum. She said: "Nobody who is confident in their argument ever fears democracy."
With the SNP having launched its largest campaign for independence since the 2014 referendum, the Deputy First Minister promised supporters this would be "the most sophisticated political campaign that Scotland has ever seen". The party aims to reach some 1.5 million Scots in the coming months, with Ms Gilruth insisting that "our opportunity has never been greater".
