First Minister John Swinney will borrow Labour’s latest slogan this week to call for a “new direction” on the economy.

The SNP leader will demand an “evidence-based” approach to immigration and rejoining the EU, two issues on which Labour has already refused to give any ground.

Addressing an audience in Glasgow on Wednesday, Mr Swinney will warn that the “skies are darkening over Westminster as economic confidence in the Labour government ebbs away.”

He will add: “We urgently need a new direction from the UK Government. But if we are to ensure that Scotland’s economy performs to its full potential, I believe it is time for Scotland to think big, so we can act bold.” 

He will say that seizing the opportunities in energy could transform the supply chain, but he will warn that immigration needs to plug gaps in the country’s ageing population.

“People who choose to make their life in Scotland are welcome for who they are – but they are also essential for tax revenues, the sustainability of public services and the future success of businesses, whether as employees or paying customers,” he will say.

He will once again blame Brexit for disrupting the supply of workers and say that “If we are to make the most of Scotland’s economic opportunities, we need an immigration system that understands that Scotland is different from the UK as a whole.

“Ultimately, Scotland is a European nation and I believe that our future lies within the European Union and that rejoining the EU should be our clearly stated goal and national mission,” he will say, while he is unlikely to admit that the SNP’s goal of splitting the UK would weaken ties with its biggest market.

Mr Swinney will insist: “My aim is not to look backwards in order to refight the Brexit debate. Brexit for all its folly has happened. Instead, my wish is that we turn our eyes to the ground that lies ahead and determine to choose a new path, and a different course.

“Simply put, remain was the past, rejoin is Scotland’s best hope for a more prosperous future.”

His call for a return to EU membership comes at a time when the economies of Germany, France, Italy and the eurozone as a whole are poised to underperform the UK, according to the International Monetary Fund.