The leader of the No campaign during the 2014 independence referendum has backed Kezia Dugdale's call for a new Act of Union.

Alistair Darling, who led the Better Together campaign, has offered his support to the Scottish Labour leader's plans to reform the British constitution in the wake of Brexit.

The former Chancellor has rarely intervened in Scottish politics since he left the House of Commons last year.

The Scottish Labour leader's plans include a constitutional convention for the whole of the UK which she hopes would result in a federal political system, giving more power to Scotland the English regions.

Dugdale is proposing a new Act of Union to achieve the changes.

Darling said: "We need a new settlement. As poll after poll shows, a clear majority of Scots want to remain in the United Kingdom. But we need to strengthen that union with a new settlement.

"One that reflects the need to devolve more power across the UK and to make the responsibilities of the UK Parliament and the devolved parliament and assemblies clear.

"We need to strengthen our constitutional settlement and I fully support Kez's proposal. For too long this has been dismissed as too difficult. It isn't.

"A convention can deliver the settlement the whole country now needs."

Dugdale revealed her proposals in a speech in London on Wednesday. The Lothian MSP described her proposals as a "radical reshaping" of the UK "along federal lines".

She said "More than two years on, those of us who fought for the UK shouldn't be embarrassed about winning - we should be proud.

"Deciding to remain part of the UK was the right decision then, as it is now. The people who should be embarrassed about what has happened since are the Tories.

"I was stunned when David Cameron walked out of Number 10 and immediately undermined everything we had achieved with his divisive comments on English Votes for English Laws."

Dugdale added: "But we must never forget why we fought to save our United Kingdom. I am proud - immensely proud - to have fought to keep the UK together in 2014.

"I was proud because it was a Labour argument I was making.

"The UK provides the redistribution of wealth that defines our entire Labour movement and it provides the protection for public finance in Scotland that comes from being part of something larger.

"Something good. Something worth fighting for."