PM fails to back Alexander's referendum u-turn

Gordon Brown has failed to give public backing to a call by Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander for an early referendum on Independence.

Ms Alexander insisted in a BBC Scotland interview that the Prime Minister was fully behind her attempts.

But during Prime Minister's Questions at Westminster, Mr Brown denied Ms Alexander had said she wanted an early referendum on the matter.

SNP depute leader Nicola Sturgeon claimed that Ms Alexander's position is now 'completely untenable'.

"At a stroke, Gordon Brown has destroyed her leadership - and placed serious questions over his own, given the number of inaccuracies in his PMQ answers," she said.

SNP Westminister group leader Angus Robertson said the Prime Minister has been left 'looking ridiculous' by Wendy Alexander’s u-turn.

“Labour are clearly split north and south, with Wendy saying bring it on, while Gordon Brown disowns her at the dispatch box," he said.

“The Prime Minister was also embarrassingly badly briefed on SNP policy over the timing of an Independence referendum, but if he can’t even keep up with Wendy’s policy, then we shouldn’t expect him to know ours.

“Wendy Alexander is now a major embarrassment to Gordon Brown, she’s gone from being a lapdog to a liability.

“While the SNP is delighted with Wendy’s u-turn, it has spectacularly backfired on Gordon Brown.”