DEMOCRATIC nominee hopeful Bernie Sanders would be "favourable" to Scottish independence, the Senator's UK-based brother has said. 

Green Party activist Larry Sanders, who will speak alongside National columnist Lesley Riddoch and others at an Edinburgh event tonight, said he has an "inclination" that the man vying to be US president would support independence for Scotland. 

READ MORE: Bernie Sanders's brother to speak at Edinburgh event

Sanders is the front-runner to fight Donald Trump at the polls later this year. Just this week the 78-year-old left-winger won the New Hampshire primary, beating former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg and seeing former favourite and ex-VP Joe Biden pushed into fifth place.

US leaders have not typically supported Scottish independence, with former president Barack Obama previously backing a "strong and united" UK. 

However Larry suggested his left-wing brother could take a different stance. 

Speaking to the Daily Record, the activist addressed the issue of independence. He said: “I don’t think I have ever talked to him about it. My inclination is that he would be favourable.”

The National:

Larry also called Obama's 2014 statement about independence "unusual", and that he wasn't sure "what the point of that was".

Asked about the relationship between the UK and US, the Senator's brother went on: “I think there is some kind of relationship, but only because of the language and history.

"I think Bernard has a lot of respect for Britain, and a lot depends on the politics of the various leaders in the countries.

“I think the Scottish political views are closer to Bernard’s than the Conservative Party.”

Larry will speak beside Riddoch and Common Weal campaign director Jonathon Shafi at the event Democracy v Demagogues in Edinburgh tonight.