Burnham showing 'hypocrisy' on independence and the EU, says ex Sturgeon chief

Liz Lloyd also said the Prime Minister must make a “meaningful” announcement when he visits Scotland later this week, otherwise “what’s the point?”.

Mr Burnham caused a frenzy amongst pro-independence politicians in Scotland after he declared that Scotland was in the exact same situation as Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, there is a legal mechanism for leaving the UK - no such mechanism exists for Scotland.

Since then, he has repeatedly said a second independence referendum is “off limits”.

However, he has also indicated that he wants to have closer ties with the EU and suggested reversing some aspects of the Brexit settlement.

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The Prime Minister is due to make his first major public appearance in Scotland on Friday, in a visit that clashes with the SNP’s annual conference in Aberdeen.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast, Ms Lloyd said: “There is hypocrisy in having a conversation about the EU, but saying Scotland can’t have a conversation about revisiting independence.

“[Andy Burnham] needs to navigate that. That’s why he needs to come [to Scotland] with something good, otherwise he will get bogged down in that.

“The other thing for him is he talks about devolution, but he’s already said he’s not going to go over the heads of the Scottish Government, so the question is ‘what questions have you had with the Scottish Government before you come here and say this is how I think it should be?’

“How it lies in Scotland is already very different to England and some things that happen with mayors in England already happen here in Scotland, so it is a very different landscape.

“Before he comes here and says how it should be run, which is not entirely his business, there should be these conversations, because John Swinney and Andy Burnham are open to these conversations.”

Ms Lloyd also said she believes the timing of Mr Burnham’s visit to Scotland is an “accident” because the Downing Street team are “not plugged into Scotland” and assume conference season is already over.

She said: “They don’t think of SNP conference, so I think this is an accident. It’s ‘when is the next free Friday he can go to Scotland, because oops, he hasn’t been yet?’, and then realised it is SNP conference.”

She added it was a “good response” for the SNP to invite Mr Burnham to the party conference while he is in Scotland, and added: “There’s a question for Andy Burnham on what is he bringing? Just coming to Scotland for a nice chat on his theory of Britain and devolution, we’ve heard that before, so what is he going to say about the future of oil and gas, the cost-of-living, and energy prices?

“All the policies he’s announced are very England, and it is clear his understanding of the UK is the regions of England. Scotland is not a political concept he’s had to wrestle with, so the big challenge for him is to come here with something meaningful, otherwise what’s the point?”