BESTSELLING author and high-profile Labour supporter Owen Jones sympathises "in the strongest possible way" with Scots who support independence to escape from the "nightmare" of a Tory hard Brexit.

Jones, who is also a Guardian columnist, said he understood why Scots living under right-wing Tory rule would want to "press a button" and back independence in the event of a second referendum.

The activist made the comments during a visit to Edinburgh, where he later spoke at a fundraising dinner alongside Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale. He also claimed Dugdale was not to blame for Scottish Labour's crisis and that the "rot" has begun decades earlier.

Adding: "I've got huge respect and admiration for Kezia who's got one of the most difficult jobs in modern British politics."

Speaking ahead of the event, Jones said he opposed independence, but backed a federal Britain, which he claimed would allow for "devolution with redistribution".

However, he said he felt some solidarity with Scots who would back independence as a way of halting the hard Brexit Theresa May is pursuing.

Jones, the author of Chavs: The Demonisation of the Working Class and The Establishment – And How They Get Away With It, also said there was an "extremely strong case" for a separate European deal for Scotland.

Jones suggested the Prime Minister's plan, which would see Scotland forced to leave the single market against its will, was making independence more attractive.

He said: "It's difficult not to have sympathy when most people in Scotland voted to Remain and don't want to leave, but are ruled by an increasingly right-wing Conservative government with authoritarian tendencies.

"If you could press a button that frees you from that situation it's entirely understandable. If I could press a button and free myself from that situation I would.

"A lot of people view independence that way. It's not a blood and toil nationalism or a Braveheart tribute. Lots of people just have a vision of a different society as an alternative to being ejected from the EU against their will by a right-wing Tory government.

"I sympathise in the strongest possible way with people who view it is a way of getting out of this nightmare."

Jones also believes May's hard Brexit plan could make her the Prime Minister who presides over the end of the Union, as he backed a separate EU deal for Scotland.

"There's an extremely strong case for a separate deal. I want Scotland to remain part of the single market and for other parts of the UK to do as well," he said. "I want that deal for all of us, as well as Scotland, and Northern Ireland."

Jones also suggested the SNP and Greens may be able to sustain a minority Labour government in power in the event of a hung parliament at the 2020 General Election.

He said: "It's extremely difficult to see a majority Labour win just in terms of the number of seats that would have to be won. It may be that the only route to power was a minority Labour government with the support of the Scottish National Party."