Labour split over new Scots leader

FORMER Labour first minister Henry McLeish has accused MPs of treating the Scottish Parliament with "contempt", as a row erupted with a senior colleague at Westminster over who should lead the party in Scotland.

Michael Connarty, the MP for Linlithgow and East Falkirk, suggested the party should look at figures in the House of Commons to succeed Iain Gray.

He said: "If we can find a leader who can commit himself or herself and who has the ability to take on the mythology that independence would be best for Scotland and that's an MP, then that's who we should choose."

But Mr McLeish, who has written a document for UK leader Ed Miliband on how the party can recover in Scotland, said: "For Labour to invest some confidence in the Scottish Parliament, I think the leader of the party in Scotland should be an MSP."