Indyref2: Anas Sarwar will call for enhanced devolution and cooperation between UK and Scottish governments

The Scottish Labour leader will say the UK and Scottish Governments should be forced to cooperate when he makes a pitch for an alternative to independence today.

Anas Sarwar will outline a vision for further devolution powers during a speech to the Fabian Society in London today (Monday).

The Scottish Labour leader will criticise both the SNP and the Conservatives for trying to benefit from “a political climate which seeks to maximise disagreements and disordered relationships”.

Mr Sarwar will also say that a renewed push to hold a second referendum on independence next year called for by Nicola Sturgeon is “a distraction from the SNP’s failures in government”.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will call for cooperation between the UK and Scottish Governments in a speech in London today (Photo: Andrew Milligan/ PA).

In his column for the Record, Sarwar said: “The truth the Tories and the SNP don’t want to talk about is constitutional politics can never end poverty or inequality.

“It doesn’t put food on the table, build any schools, or train any nurses. It cannot, alone, build a better nation.

"But when both of Scotland’s governments stand to gain politically from the chaos of division, it means bad government thrives and people pay the price.

“I will call for a new legal duty of cooperation between the UK and Scottish Governments, and structures to ensure they work together where they can and not against each other.

"We are proposing new models of inter-government working designed to heal the bad relationship that exist.”

Sarwar’s speech comes as Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has insisted votes for his party would count for independence mandate at general election.

Mr Harvie said: "The large majority of the Green movement have been supporters of independence and some who support devolution and would like to see devolution expanded, I think they are going to see over the course of the campaign the fact that the devolution settlement that we voted for simply doesn’t exist anymore.”

However, Scottish Labour has argued independence would be “worse than Brexit” and would scrap devolution.

Sarah Boyack, Scottish Labour’s Constitutional spokesperson said: “We’ve got two governments that are not interested in making devolution a success. The Tories actively want to undermine it and the SNP want to get rid of it altogether.

"Conflict between our Governments is bad for everyone and it undermines good policy making and it’s not in the interests of the people of Scotland.”