The leader of the Scottish Conservatives has called for a joint World Cup bid from the British home nations in a move to strengthen the union.

Ruth Davidson was speaking at a conference on unionism in London in the wake of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hinting at another push for a second referendum this summer.

The Edinburgh Central MSP said: "If we want the Union to flourish, indeed the UK to continue, then we need to work at it, to embrace change, and to think harder about how to do so.

"I hesitate here in floating the idea of a joint UK-wide bid, knowing just how much trouble it would land me in with the Scottish FA. But it's a thought, isn't it?"

But Davidson made it clear that it wouldn't be a route to Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland amalgamating into one team, insisting: "As long as it doesn't mean a joint team on the pitch."

There was also calls for more government agencies to be moved from London and a newly-empowered fisheries industry to be based in Peterhead after Brexit.

Ms Davidson told the Policy Exchange conference: "We've had more devolution in Scotland, we now need more union too.

"We remain far too London-centric as a nation.

"No other comparable developed nation is as dominated by its capital city quite as much as we are.

"The consequence of this is that the union too often can feel like something done to people, rather than something they take part in."

Sturgeon plans to publish a new economic report aimed at beginning a new debate on Scottish independence.

But Davidson urged Prime Minister Theresa May to oppose any moves for a second referendum and accused the SNP of "weaponising Brexit".

She said: "The SNP clearly thinks that they can weaponise Brexit to move to another independence vote.

"My advice to the Prime Minister is that if the question is the same, the answer should be the same."