Jeremy Corbyn has said a second Scottish independence referendum would be "absolutely fine" and that it "should be held" if there was demand for it.

The Labour leader indicated that he did not believe Westminster should seek to block a second vote if Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon brought one forward.

"If a referendum is held then it is absolutely fine, it should be held," Mr Corbyn said after he was asked whether a second plebiscite was inevitable.

"I don't think it's the job of Westminster or the Labour Party to prevent people holding referenda."

As a caveat, the Labour leader, who was speaking to the Press Association, added: "I do think we should set it within the context of the economic relationship with the rest of the UK and the question of devolution of EU to English regions and to Scotland, and to parts of Scotland rather than just to the government in Holyrood, because the principle of regionalism is it goes to everybody within a region, not just to the central powers and the SNP have a bit of a tendency to centralise things around themselves."

The position appears to put Mr Corbyn at odds with Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who has said she does not want a second vote and wants to move on from the independence issue. Shortly after Mr Corbyn's comments emerged, the SNP's Ms Sturgeon tweeted: "Always a pleasure to have Jeremy Corbyn campaigning in Scotland".

Scottish voters backed remaining in the UK by 45 per cent to 55 per cent in September 2014.

Ms Sturgeon has said another independence ballot is "highly likely" if Scotland is pulled from the EU single market despite having voted Remain.

The First Minister, who won a renewed mandate in elections in May last year, said this week that the autumn of 2018 would be a "common sense" time to hold another independence vote.

She told the BBC that she was "not ruling anything out".

Labour is holding its economic conference in Glasgow this weekend; shadow Chancellor John McDonnell pledged to make Scotland the cornerstone of a new "arc of prosperity".

"Labour’s "arc of prosperity" wouldn't be based on slashing corporation taxes, as the SNP have advocated," he told attendees.

Scotland goes to the polls Show all 20 1 /20 Scotland goes to the polls Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Piper Ryan Randall leads a pro-Scottish independence rally in the suburbs of Edinburgh Getty Images Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides A "No" campaigner bursts into song as the BBC's Nick Robinson walks past Getty Images Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Chris McAleese holds a Saltire flag as he speaks with Gerrard Corrigan, left, and Robbie Devine outside Bannockburn Polling Station in Scotland AP Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides George Mackay and his daughter Anne Mackay run a polling station from their caravan at Coulags near Lochcarron PA Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Voters arrive at the polling station in the village hall in the remote Highland area of Lochcarron, Scotland PA Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides A No campaign supporter and Yes campaign supporter debate with each outside the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh, Scotland AP Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Martin Greenhouse arrived at Partick polling station wearing a Scottish football jersey with the number 14 - for 2014 - on the back. Martin said that he'd lived in Scotland for years and would be remaining north of border regardless of the outcome tonight. "Westminster does London very well. But not the rest of Britain. Devolution works, independence will work better and the regions of England will take note. That's why my wife and I are voting YES." James Cusick/The Independent Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides A supporter of the 'Yes' campaign stands outside a polling station Reuters Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides A yes supporter talks with a man and a woman with a Union flag in George Square, just a few hours before polling stations will close in the Scottish independence referendum Getty Images Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Chris McAleese at Bannockburn Polling Station, as voters go to the polls in the Scottish Referendum PA Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Ryan Randall plays the bagpipes outside a polling station in Edinburgh, Scotland Reuters Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Fashion makes a point on voting day in the Scottish Independence referendum in Stirling EPA Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Voters come to Notre Dame Primary School polling station as the people of Scotland take to the polls to decide their country's fate Getty Images Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Voters come to Notre Dame Primary School polling station as the people of Scotland take to the poles to decide their country's fate in a historic vote Getty Images Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond chats to school children at Strichen Primary School in Strichen PA Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown with No campaigners outside the polling station at North Queensferry Community Centre as polls open PA Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond gives the thumbs up after voting in the Scottish referendum in Aberdeenshire, Scotland EPA Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Residents take part in a "short walk to freedom" march in Edinburgh Reuters Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides Young voters leave a polling station in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh Reuters Scotland goes to the polls Scotland decides David Aguilar, left, and Aleix Sarri from Catalonia, who are visiting Scotland to support the Scottish independence referendum, gesture and hold up a placard supporting a Yes vote at passing motorists in Edinburgh, Scotland AP

"It would be one that had Scotland as its cornerstone, within a more federal UK and benefiting from the shared values of our European neighbours.

"And in contrast to a Tory Government in Westminster that wishes to turn Britain into a tax haven off the coast of Europe. Or the leadership of the SNP in Edinburgh, which seeks to cut Scotland off from not just Europe, but also Britain."