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Weve got to acknowledge that in 1979 although on a technicality it was defeated we delivered a Scotland Bill.

But Labour has refused to take advantage of that legacy, and currently in Scotland we have no traction whatsoever in the constitutional debate.

Thats why Im encouraged by the comments of some senior Labour MSPs that the party has to have a rethink about the constitutional question.

Of course there will be a second referendum. You cannot continue to fight democracy. Because if you oppose indyref2 you are opposing democracy.

For Labour that is not a vision, its not a strategy, its not a policy, its an acceptance of defeatism.

The only reason they might not want to have a referendum, along with the Conservatives, is that they might lose.

I think the 2021 Holyrood election will be pivotal in defining where Scots are on the issue.

My best bet is that a referendum will take place after that in either 2022 or 2023.

I dont believe for a minute that Scotland, couldnt be independent, of course it could. But thats not the question we need to be asking ourselves.

The question really is, do we take a substantial number of Scottish people with the country as it moves, or is there an alternative to independence which is not being properly developed.

READ MORE:Henry McLeish: Ditch first-past-the-post MSPs at Holyrood

I fear that weve run out of time.

Westminsters not interested. Boris Johnsons not interested. Labours not interested.

The SNPs position has been buoyed by their excellent results last week, but they have got to appreciate though that since 2014 very few opinion polls, out of more than 100, have given them a result of 50% or more in favour of independence.

Secondly, the country is bitterly divided at the present time. I think theres a danger of looking into the SNP vote and thinking that everybody who votes SNP supports independence.

The SNP have been a competent government, and in many respects a good government, so therefore people vote for them for a variety of reasons.

Labour can only get back into Scottish politics if it uses the key of the constitutional question to unlock that political door.

Were currently nowhere on the Scottish question. I have seen one person suggest that its nothing to do with Labour, leave it to the Tories and the SNP. That doesnt make sense, its also quite dangerous.

Labour has now got to seize the opportunity to decide whether it can develop an alternative, or if it cant, what is the next best option.

And in that sense, I have an option for them. As we move forward, we should explore further the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

What I want the Scottish party to do is test the boundaries of all the reserved issues. For example on welfare, on Europe, on immigration.

Labour has to rebuild trust. A lot of the policies in the Labour manifesto were sound, good and radical, but the fact is were locked out of the Scottish debate.

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Henry McLeish: opposing indyref2 is opposing democracy - The National