Gordon Brown: Labour could do more in minutes than a Tory Government with SNP MPs

The former Prime Minster joined Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy at a campaign event in the city's Lighthouse gallery to address supporters and party members ahead of polling day.

Mr Brown spoke during what is anticipated to be his last major contribution this year's election campaign, and warned that only Labour could implement the changes he claimed Scots desperately need - more NHS resources, more jobs and an end to foodbanks and child poverty.

The retired MP added that the changes his party propose would be "undeliverable under a Conservative government, even with 59 SNP MPs."

During the emotive speech, Mr Brown also said he was "proud" of his colleagues and to be helping in the campaign "not as a candidate, but [as] a volunteer.

"I come here not as someone standing for office but as a foot soldier for a great campaign...Proud of Jim Murphy and the leadership he has given us, proud of Ed Miliband for what he has achieved in the UK, [and] proud of Margaret Curran who will be a brilliant secretary of state for Scotland."

He admitted the fight for Labour votes had been a struggle during the election campaign and said: "We've been fighting against what you might call the odds, but let us remember one thing when we talk about fighting against the odds: the Labour Party was born against the odds.

"The Labour Party created the health service against the odds, the Labour Party created the welfare state against the odds, the Labour Party created the minimum wage against the odds."

He criticised the Tories, who he said had been stoking up English nationalism with their warnings about the damaging impact of the SNP if it could influence a Labour government.

"They have whipped up English nationalism against Scottish nationalism; they are putting the Union on life support."

He said that his party could be helping people in Scotland within hours of getting in to Downing Street if they were elected on May 7, and said: "We can achieve more in a few short minutes with Labour ministers and a Labour cabinet than we could ever achieve in five long years under the Conservatives, with all the SNP MPs in opposition."

"Within hours Jim Murphy could be providing money for our food banks, and we could be ending food bank poverty, delivered under a Labour Government with Labour MPs; undeliverable under a conservative government even with 59 SNP MPs.

"Within weeks we could be providing the resources the health service needs - 500 doctors, 1,000 nurses...Within months we could be getting young people back to work, creating 100,000 jobs."

Jim Murphy also addressed the audience of around 100 party supporters and members of the media, where he insisted the only way Labour would enter into a coalition with the SNP would be from the opposition benches if the Tories were to be elected on Thursday.

In that situation, he added, Scotland would "neither forgive, nor forget" the SNP's behaviour "and their responsibility for the austerity that David Cameron will reap on the families of Scotland."

He warned that a vote for Nicola Sturgeon's party risks letting " The Tories in through the back door of Downing Street" and added: "David Cameron's statement of intent of winning by one vote, aided by the SNP, brings that in again in the last few days.

"Don't just take my word for it, don't just take the labour party's word for it... When David Cameron asked about the state of the race, David Cameron has spoken about how this contest has changed. "One change he identified is when he pointed to the SNP taking seats off Labour here in Scotland as the single biggest factor in handing him power and handing him victory."

The East Renfrewshire MP also blasted Ms Sturgeon for her helicopter campaign trail, and said "Back in 2007 at least Alex Salmond had the good grace to wait till the votes had been counted before getting in the helicopter.

"I never thought I'd say it but it's time for Nicola Sturgeon to take lessons in humility from Alex Salmond."