Responding to an extraordinary final speech to the Labour party by current leader Iain Gray the SNP wished Mr Gray well in the next stage of his career and called on the new Labour leader to play a positive and constructive role in the parliament.

SNP MSP for Kelvin, where Labour's conference is taking place, Sandra White said: "This is a bizarre speech from Iain Gray and a return to the type of politics Labour are supposed to be leaving behind.

"In a week where the Labour leadership has failed to take any action over the bullying comments of an MP it considers fit to stand for Deputy Leader Iain Gray's speech is simply empty rhetoric.

"We look forward to a new Labour leader who will take an open minded approach  instead of the petty politics that saw Iain Gray lead Labour to oppose minimum pricing for alcohol, vote against funding for 25,000 apprenticeships a year, backing for small businesses, a council tax freeze to help hard pressed families and stand in the way of the people's right to choose Scotland's way forward.

"We wish Iain Gray well with the next stage of his career and hope that his successor will make a positive contribution to Scottish politics, learn from the last four years, heed the lessons of leading figures like Henry McLeish and Malcolm Chisholm and work in Parliament in the best interests of the people of Scotland."