GORDON Brown has called on politicians to save the Union through a positive "power sharing" relationship between London and Edinburgh.

The former Labour Prime Minister is to enter the independence debate with a keynote speech in Glasgow today, ahead of a series of public rallies.

Mr Brown said: "A moment cannot now be lost in detailing the positive case for a strong Scottish Parliament in a strong Britain".

He described his vision, saying it was a "clear, positive alternative to independence but is a far bigger, more modern, more forward-looking idea than that of a wholly separate state".

Among his proposals are a call for Holyrood to receive more tax-raising powers - currently a contentious issue within Scottish Labour.

In comments made ahead of the speech, he backed new power-sharing partnerships to address poverty, housing, unemployment and the environment, which he says cannot be solved by London or Edinburgh alone.

Mr Brown also wants Holyrood to be given greater powers in health, employment, transport and economic regeneration and for greater devolution of power from both Westminster and Edinburgh to local communities.

He detailed proposals for a "Bill of rights" setting out the UK's purpose, which he said should include defence, security and the alleviation of unemployment and poverty.

The Labour MP accused First Minister Alex Salmond of "giving the game away" by demanding to be part of a UK currency arrangement, "[which] will set Scottish interest rates, Scottish money supply, Scottish employment targets, Scottish inflation objectives and deal with financial crises".

A spokesman for Yes Scotland said: "We agree with Gordon Brown that the purpose of constitutional change must be to empower people. We also agree with him Labour and the other anti-independence parties need to spell out what further powers they will guarantee in the event of a No vote.

"But we have heard such promises before and they came to nothing then and they'd come to nothing again."