NICOLA Sturgeon must put the constitution aside and “focus on the job in front of her”, which is tackling the economic crisis arising from Covid, Gordon Brown has said.

The former Labour Prime Minister made his first intervention in the Holyrood election as his party promoted its jobs recovery plan.

Economists have warned there could be a spike in unemployment once the jobs furlough scheme ends in September, with employers still struggling to recover from the lockdown slump.

Writing in the Daily Record, Mr Brown said now was a time for all political leaders to “hunker down” and end the “petty politicking”. 

He said: “Unemployment is at a five-year high in Scotland.. [and after furlough] could rocket.

“This is no time for our political leaders to hunker down.

"They must recognise they have no greater duty than setting out measures to tackle this.

“Devolution has given Scotland the power to act. The Covid crisis has handed the Scottish Government extra resources to support our economy and high streets.

“Nicola Sturgeon must do what I think even she knows is right – to put her constitutional argument to one side and focus on the job in front of her.

“What we need is concrete and ambitious policy.”

Ms Sturgeon last week said she wanted a second independence referendum in the first half of the next five-year parliament, during the recovery phase.

Referring to the global financial crisis when he was PM in 2008/09, Mr Brown said: “More than 10 years ago, as the financial crisis ripped apart economies across the world, we faced the same challenge – and a similar choice.

“We could batten down the hatches and accept a new Great Depression or act with speed.

“As Scotland emerges from the pandemic, the situation is as serious as it was then – and without action the consequences will be just as dire.”

He praised Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and his National Recovery Plan for jobs, which is due to be unveiled later this week.

He said: “Anas Sarwar has a strong sense of what needs to be done. He will set out plans to guarantee work for young people, to increase apprenticeships and to ensure those in work are able to upskill and change jobs to tackle the likely upheaval in the labour market.”

Mr Sarwar today said his plan to regrow the economy included 5,000 apprenticeship places and a sharing scheme so firms in key sectors like construction or agriculture take on an apprentice together.

Labour’s plans would aim to tackle low pay by ensuring all apprentices receive a higher wage than the £4.30 an hour that many currently receive, regardless of age, more than doubling the hourly rate the of a 23-year-old apprentice.

Mr Sarwar said: “Creating new work opportunities for the young people of Scotland is central to our Jobs Recovery Plan.

“Scotland’s young people are worried about their futures as a result of the pandemic and the economic downturn that will take years to recover from.

“The partial re-opening of the economy today is a step in the right direction, but we need to take urgent action to kickstart our economy.

“Scottish Labour’s Jobs Recovery Plan seeks to stimulate our economy and place fairness and opportunity at its heart.

“By creating 5,000 properly paid apprenticeship places, we can deliver a brighter future for thousands of young Scots if we keep the focus on recovery and don’t return to the old political arguments.”

Liberal Democrat peer Menzies Campbell said: "Gordon Brown has set out the clear choice for people. It is either to put recovery first or to take up years with all the different nationalist parties arguing with each other. 

"Liberal Democrats want an urgent programme of recovery taking us into the summer. The nationalists just want more arguments about independence."