SNP MP Stephen Gethins has slated Anas Sarwar after he blamed the Scottish Government for the lack of a bespoke Scottish visa, saying it shows the "branch office has no clout".
Gethins lodged a bill last year seeking an amendment to the Scotland Act 1998 to enable the Scottish Government to set up a Scottish visa, but the idea was shot down by the Home Office.
This happened even as Labour MP Torcuil Crichton told the UK Government it "should not be beyond us to devise ways to attract more people to work and settle” in Scotland.
On Monday's Scotland Tonight episode on STV, Sarwar was asked if he had a solution to population pressures outlined by Professor Anton Muscatelli, who said in a report there were “chronic demographic challenges around population decline” in Scotland.
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After saying the UK needs an immigration system "that works for every part of the country", Sarwar went on to blame the Scottish Government for the lack of a bespoke visa, accusing ministers of wanting "to make a virtue of difference and disagreement".
Gethins told The National that Sarwar's comments were "astonishing" when his suggestion of cross-party talks on a visa had been slapped down by the Home Office.
"This is an astonishing remark by the leader of Scottish Labour," he said.
"As always with the Labour Party when it comes to a failure of Westminster, they want anybody to take responsibility but themselves.
"Businesses, the care sector, the NHS, is crying out for a Scottish visa system, yet when I introduced my legislation and when I called for cross-party talks and cooperation at Westminster, we were slapped down by the Home Office who refused to countenance any diversity within the UK despite Scotland’s distinctive needs.
"Not only me, but even when Labour MPs said the Home Office should be working on this or there should be some variation to meet Scotland’s needs, they were also slapped down by the UK Government within a matter of hours."
Gethins criticised Labour for "lashing out" at the Scottish Government which does not have responsibility for immigration.
He went on: "Like so many cases, Labour are too worried about Westminster battles with the Conservatives and Reform than to give a moment’s thought to what might work for Scotland’s businesses and key services.
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"What this tells me is that Labour don’t have a clue what to do next and are lashing out at the government without responsibility in this area rather than putting pressure on the government that does have responsibility over this.
"It strikes me the branch office truly has no clout and this is a sign of its helplessness."
In a Westminster Hall debate last October, Labour MP for Glasgow East John Grady said the party wanted to bring more workers to Scotland and suggested that the new UK Government may be working on proposals, but the Home Office subsequently dismissed this.
Gethins said afterwards in a blog that “all is not lost” and that his private members' bill – which is still live – was introduced in the "very broadest terms" to allow for cooperation.
"No one in Parliament has a monopoly of wisdom, and people also expect us to find common ground and seek to work together where possible," he wrote.
Gethins highlighted how just before the EU referendum, former Tory minister Michael Gove had suggested that Scotland should decide its immigration policy if the Leave campaign was successful.
Meanwhile, Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said just before last year’s General Election her party was open to talks with the Scottish Government on a Scottish visa, but nothing came of the claims.
A poll in July showed 70% of Scottish businesses support the introduction of a Scottish visa.
Only 17% of respondents to the Understanding Business Survey said they opposed the idea of a Scottish visa, while the remaining 14% were neutral or unsure.
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