Labour 'to put forward alternative to SNP and Tories'

Details of a UK-wide constitutional convention are to be set out by Jeremy Corbyn on a trip to Scotland later this week.

Mr Rowley told BBC Sunday Politics Scotland: "What's clear is that the UK constitution is no longer in line with where government right across the UK is, so we need this constitutional convention.

"This is based on a similar approach to that which Labour took to set up the Scottish Parliament, which was to set up an all-party constitutional convention that also involved civic society and the wider society, that's what we need right across the UK."

Mr Rowley said it needs to be up-and-running "as soon as possible".

"Right now, what we're saying is that there are two polar opposites being presented: the SNP want independence, which we don't believe would be in Scotland's best interests, the Tories want the status quo.

"In February we will go to our conference and we will put forward an alternative to both those points of view which is that we need to move forward and that Scotland needs to remain part of the UK, reject independence and reject the status quo from Westminster and go for a more federal system."

Mr Rowley was asked if it was still his view that he was not opposed to another independence referendum.

He said: "We need to listen to what the Scottish people have said. Consistently since the Brexit vote poll after poll has shown people don't want another referendum now.

"We need to get the best deal possible for Brexit and we could do that by ruling out a referendum within the lifetime of this parliament so that we can see what the best deal is for Scotland coming out of the European Union."

He was also asked if Labour members would be allowed to campaign for independence and told programme host Gordon Brewer: "I would expect Labour MPs and Labour MSPs to support the position that our conference takes in February."