Richard Leonard has urged Scots to “think courageously about the future” as he sets out his pitch for a home rule Scottish Parliament in a federal United Kingdom.

It has been suggested the proposal could lead to more powers being devolved to Holyrood while leaving areas such as economic policy, defence and foreign affairs at Westminster.

In an address to members of the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland on Saturday, the Scottish Labour leader is expected to call for an expansion of the role of both Holyrood and local government.

READ MORE: Kevin McKenna: Strategy, not lines in the sand, will set Scotland free 

The assembly, set up to consider what kind of country Scotland should be and how to overcome present and future challenges, will meet for the third time this weekend.

Mr Leonard is expected to tell the assembly: “My vision is of a Scotland which is more equal, more tolerant, free from fear – fear of poverty, homelessness, hunger and physical squalor amidst the huge inequalities of wealth.

“Where life expectancy is going up not going down. Where there is dignity in old age and retirement.

“Where we build a Scottish National Care Service which is cherished like the National Health Service.

“Comprehensive child care free for all. Tax funded public services free at the point of need.

“An education system built on the principle of lifelong learning, including education for its own sake but also to meet the automation revolution, the climate change challenge.”

He will add: “Much of this can be driven by the existing powers of the Scottish Parliament.

READ MORE: Gordon Brown: UK will have to change if Scotland is to stay 

“But we must act and engage democratically at the level where power is exercised.

“If earlier generations had not possessed vision, campaigned with conviction, there would be no NHS, no welfare state, no equal rights, no Open University, no full employment, no publicly owned housing.”

 

Mr Leonard is leading Scottish Labour in a review of last month’s general election result and considering what implications it has for the party’s constitutional offer.

Some within the party have suggested it should not stand against a second independence vote, while candidates for the UK leadership have spoken out against another referendum being held.

On Friday, Mr Leonard told the PA news agency Scottish Labour must have the final say on the issue.

“One of the things that I’m saying to all the leadership candidates in this contest is it’s good that they’re concentrating a lot of their messages on Scotland – that they understand if Labour is to win again, we have to win in Scotland,” he said.

“But I’m getting the message across that in the end, on the Scottish constitutional question, that will be decided by members of the Scottish Labour Party.

“The Scottish Labour Party will be the ones driving that agenda.”