Nicola Sturgeon has branded Keir Starmer a "pale imitation" of the Tories and challenged his party to provide a real alternative to the UK Government.
It comes after the UK Labour leader shared his concerns about the gender reform bill passed by the Scottish Parliament and claimed he is not in favour of it applying to 16 and 17 year olds.
The UK Government is preparing to block the legislation despite it being passed last month by a clear majority of MSPs at Holyrood.
The SNP leader said: "Keir Stamer needs to stop trying to be a pale imitation of the Tory government he’s seeking to replace, and actually start offering some positive alternative."
At a press conference on the NHS today, the First Minister was asked about Starmer’s claim that the SNP and the Tories are both exploiting the gender recognition bill for partisan advantage.
The SNP insisted it had only become a constitutional issue because Westminster was refusing to accept the right of the Scottish parliament to legislate on a matter within its own competence.
She added: "I start to wonder, and I suspect I am not the only one who starts to wonder, if there is anything Keir Starmer is willing to stand up and be counted on in the face of Tory attacks?”
Pointing out Labour MSPs had voted for the Bill, she said if Starmer was to support a block "he would be showing utter contempt for his own Scottish party as well as the Scottish Parliament"
She added: "We will see what happens this week but these is no justification whatsoever for the action that is being talked about."
Starmer told the BBC yesterday: "I have concerns about the provision in Scotland, in particular the age reduction to 16 and in particular the rejection of our amendment in relation to the Equalities Act.”
Pressed on whether he thinks someone of 16 is old enough to decide to change their gender, he replied: "No, I don’t think you are."
Downing Street said today that Scottish Secretary Alister Jack will make an announcement on whether to block the GRR bill.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: "No decision has been taken at this point by the UK Government.
"It’s the Secretary of State for Scotland who is the ultimate decision-maker and you can expect to hear from him before the deadline on Wednesday."
The Scottish Greens said that the threats to veto the Gender Recognition Reform Bill are an attack on the rights of trans people and democracy.
Scottish Greens equalities spokesperson, Maggie Chapman MSP said: "The Scottish Parliament voted overwhelmingly to support Gender Recognition Reform and to take Scotland a big step closer towards international best practice.
“Any attempt to overrule this decision, or to refuse to recognise Gender Recognition Certificates from Scotland, would set a terrible precedent and send an awful message to our trans siblings here in Scotland and around the world.
“At every step of this debate the UK government has been happy to fan the flames of prejudice. It has spread the most vicious smears and disinformation in order to detract from its many shocking failings.
“But this would be a disgraceful new low. It would be a shocking attack on trans rights and democracy. It would totally undermine devolution and all of Downing Street’s rhetoric and claims about us supposedly being better together and part of a union of equals.”
“This was one of the most scrutinised Bills in the history of the Scottish Parliament.
"The UK government rightly recognises gender recognition certificates from other countries - if they have any integrity they should end the scaremongering and agree to honour those that are issued in Scotland.”
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