Changing the law to give so-called "tied" pubs in Scotland more choice over what they sell would help create jobs in the industry, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugale has said.

Ms Dugdale backs Labour MSP Neil Bibby's draft proposals for a member's bill to help the estimated 1,000 pub landlords who have a ''tied'' arrangement with large companies that own them, often known as ''pubcos''.

These require landlords to buy some or all of their products from the companies, which can restrict the choice of beer, cider, wine and spirits for drinkers, and can force pub tenants to sell more expensive drinks.

The pair pulled pints in a visit to an Edinburgh pub on Thursday as part of the campaign to drum up cross-party support for the planned bill, which is under consultation until July 31.

Changing the law would bring it in line with more relaxed rules introduced in England and Wales from May 2016, and create a statutory backing for the voluntary code in place in Scotland.

Ms Dugdale said campaign packs for MSPs to get in touch with pubs in their area have been produced and she has had a "great response" from the pubs she has contacted across Edinburgh.

She said: "This is a great opportunity to support existing jobs, create new jobs and invest in inherently high-quality Scottish products, so quite why anybody in Scotland wouldn't be able to support this bill astonishes me."

Mr Bibby said similar legislation at Westminster was passed with cross-party support and he hoped parties across the Scottish political spectrum would get behind the bill as tied tenants have told him changing the law would make a "huge difference".

He said: "It's about three things - fairness, choice and jobs. It's about fairness for tied tenants in Scotland, giving them the same rights as those in England and Wales.

"It's about giving customers greater choice behind the bar and it's about jobs - protecting and creating jobs in Scotland's pubs.

"Allowing tied tenants to have a better deal from their pub company will allow more money to be retained in the pubs and invested in the pubs, and also be helpful for the Scottish brewing industry, creating and protecting jobs."

The campaign is backed by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA), the Campaign for Real Ale, the GMB union and the STUC.

SLTA chief executive Paul Waterson said: "This is long overdue. It is not acceptable that tenants in England and Wales have statutory rights and protection, and Scottish tenants do not.

"We are delighted to support Neil Bibby's positive proposal to establish a pub code in Scotland and to set up a Scottish adjudication system to enforce it.

"We urge all Scottish licensees to support their tenant colleagues and respond to the consultation."

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, urged Labour to rethink their plans, claiming the bill would "hurt small business owners, offer fewer choices for consumers and ultimately cost jobs".

She said: "The pub market in Scotland is completely different to other parts of the UK, with only 17% of pubs under a tied arrangement here, compared to 40% in the UK as a whole.

"It simply doesn't work to compare like-for-like in this case. Furthermore, we have already put in place a system of self-regulation in Scotland which safeguards tenants.

"Second, tied pubs offer greater choice of beers than pubs free of tie; tied pubs average ten draught lines, free of tie pubs only offer eight and tied pubs offer double the amount of cask ale.

"Finally, the tied pub models offers unrivalled entrepreneurship opportunities, jobs and investment.

"In the last two years alone £20 million has been spent by pub companies and brewers investing in pubs in Scotland."