Richard Leonard under pressure over Labour's Brexit stance

Richard Leonard has refused to confirm whether Labour would campaign for or against Brexit in any potential general election.

Richard Leonard refused to confirm whether Labour would campaign against Brexit in a possible snap general election

In a speech on Thursday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called for a general election “at the earliest opportunity” to “break the deadlock” over Brexit.

Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Friday, Mr Leonard, the Scottish Labour leader, was asked directly about what the party’s stance would be if a general election was to be called.

Mr Leonard said: “It’s not a matter of campaigning for or against Brexit.

“There has been a referendum in which people overall decided that we should leave the European Union and I have said repeatedly that I think the job of elected politicians is to look at the best way of extracting the best deal under those circumstances.

“Our policy on Brexit so far has been to try to secure the best deal. The manifesto of the Labour Party will be decided by the Labour Party and we’ve got a process for determining that.

“My view is that we had a referendum in 2016, our job has been to try to get the best deal.”

The deal proposed by Prime Minister Theresa May is due to be put forward in Parliament next week, although it is not expected to receive enough support to pass.

Mr Leonard said that the plans do not meet Labour’s requirements, including creating a customs union arrangement, a close relationship with the single market and provisions to protect rights for workers and the environment.

Responding to comments made by Labour MP Ian Murray, who has campaigned for a People’s Vote, Mr Leonard acknowledged a “range of views” within the party.

He said: “It’s evident that there are a range of views inside the Labour Party about what our stance should be and there are people, like Ian Murray, who are absolutely clear that we should be arguing and that we should be standing on a platform which is to reverse the decision of the referendum.”