Labour MSPs will vote against triggering Article 50 at Holyrood on Tuesday, the party's Scottish leader has confirmed.

Kezia Dugdale said the vote will send a clear message that Scotland and her party "do not support a hard Brexit".

The vote at Holyrood will be non-binding and will not block the Prime Minister's timetable for starting the process of leaving the European Union.

UK Labour is committed to triggering Article 50 but its only Scottish MP, Ian Murray, rebelled with 46 of his colleagues against Jeremy Corbyn's position last week and voted against starting Brexit in a House of Commons vote.

In an article on LabourList, Ms Dugdale writes: "The UK is leaving the EU - that is not in doubt. What is in doubt is the terms on which we are leaving.

"Scottish Labour respects the result of the UK-wide referendum on the EU, but we also know the people of Scotland did not vote for Theresa May's hard Brexit and that no one voted to become poorer.

"While the bill to leave the EU is still progressing through the House of Commons, Labour in Holyrood will send a clear message that we do not support a hard Brexit. The UK is leaving the European Union, but there is no reason why Scottish Labour and the Scottish Parliament should not give a voice to the wishes of the vast majority of Scottish people."

Scottish Labour will seek to amend the Scottish Government's motion by calling on MSPs to rule out a second independence referendum.

The amendment will state a "majority of the people of Scotland want to remain inside the UK, with as close a relationship with Europe as possible" and that "there should not be a second Scottish independence referendum".

It will also state that Scotland's politicians respect "the outcome of the EU referendum and accepts as a result, we will leave the European Union".

An SNP spokesman said Ms Dugdale's comments were the "politics of fantasy".

He said: "Labour at Westminster are writing the Tories a blank cheque on a hard Brexit, and they won't even get behind our plans to keep Scotland in the single market.

"Despite voting overwhelmingly to Remain in the EU, Scotland faces the prospect of a Brexit Britain run by right-wing Tories determined to finish what Thatcher started.

"If Labour are not willing to actually propose a solution then it is completely irrelevant what Kezia Dugdale says she will 'stand up' for."

Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said: "The referendum was held, Parliament has had its say, and we should now respect them both by moving to trigger Article 50."

"The SNP is hoping to use this debate to sow division and grievance in order to further its unwanted plan for a second independence referendum.

"It is disappointing that Scottish Labour has fallen into the same old trap and failed to stand up to the same old Nationalist stunts. The Scottish Conservatives will have no truck with them."

Last month the Supreme Court unanimously decided that Article 50 was a reserved matter over which the Scottish Parliament has no legal competence.