Keir Starmer has said the biggest cause of division in Scotland is the Conservative Party.
Ahead of the Conservative leadership hustings in Perth on Tuesday evening, the Labour leader claimed the Tories were fuelling constitutional rows rather than trying to settle them.
Starmer said: “I want to hold our UK together, I want to make a positive case for the UK as we go forward.
“The problem with the Tories is that they’re part of the problem because so many people of Scotland do not want to be associated with a Tory government back in Westminster.”
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He added: "The single biggest driver of division in Scotland is the Tory Party in Westminster.”
Starmer spoke out as Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss talked up their plans put greater scrutiny on Scottish Government if they become the next Prime Minister.
Liz Truss claimed she would get “Scotland’s economy moving” and vowed to give MSPs special legal protection so they could they scrutinise decisions made by the devolved government.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford accused the candidates of trying to outdo each other to mount further attacks on devolution.
He said: “It just shows how out of touch they are.
“Their plans to demand Scottish civil servants are forced to be grilled by Westminster committees amount to little more than sinister show trials, but also speaks volumes about their lack of confidence in Tory MSPs to do the job of scrutinising Government.”
