FMQs: Nicola Sturgeon would 'roll out red carpet' in Downing Street for Corbyn

Nicola Sturgeon would "roll out the red carpet" in Downing Street to allow Jeremy Corbyn to become Prime Minister and secure an independence referendum, MSPs have heard.

Nicola Sturgeon says Scots should have the right to choose independence

The First Minister defended the "democratic" approach of the UK Labour party after Mr. Corbyn indicated yesterday he would be ready to back a second referendum on independence if he becomes Prime Minister.

It came as the UK Labour leader revealed today that he met with Ms. Sturgeon ten days ago.

Tory interim leader Jackson Carlaw taunted Ms. Sturgeon over the prospect of an alliance with Labour after her previous criticism of Mr Corbyn.

Holyrood needs a transfer of power from a UK Prime Minister to stage a referendum on independence which has so far been refused by Boris Johnson.

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Ms. Sturgeon had warned earlier this month that Mr. Corbyn should not even "pick up the phone" in the event of a hung parliament to seek the SNP's co-operation unless he is ready to offer an independence referendum.

"Now Mr. Corbyn has made plain he is indeed happy to concede that referendum," Mr. Carlaw told MSPs at First Ministers Questions today.

"Isn't it obvious to anyone that the First Minister would roll out the red carpet herself in Downing Street so Corbyn could walk into Number 10?"

He cited Ms. Sturgeon's previous criticism of Corbyn when she described him as "pitifully ineffective, unreliable and unelectable."

And Mr. Carlaw teased Ms. Sturgeon: "What is it that first attracted you to the independence referendum supporting Jeremy Corbyn?"

But Ms. Sturgeon hit back at Westminster's "broken" politics.

"The people of Scotland need the choice of independence - and it's only the SNP that will give the people of Scotland the choice over own future," she said.

"UK Labour's position on an independence referendum is a lot more democratic than Scottish Labour's position - they oppose independence, they don't want another referendum, but they recognise it is down to the people of Scotland to decide that question.

"That is a basic issue of democracy."

"The position of the Tories and Scottish Labour and the Liberal Democrats appears to be, at the very start of an election campaign, to say to the Scottish people, we don't care how you vote, we're going to ignore you. Why would anybody vote for such a contentious attitude?

"The choice for the people of Scotland at this election is clear - it's Brexit and a bad Brexit with the Tories, or it's stopping Brexit with the SNP and putting the right to choose Scotland's future, the right to choose independence into the hands of the people of Scotland."