NOW is the time for a “proper debate” over Scottish Labour’s future after its catastrophic results in May’s Holyrood, according to former First Minister Jack McConnell.

Scottish Labour have not gained a seat at a Holyrood general election since the birth of devolution in 1999 when it won 56 seats, and its eight-year term in power — in coalition with the LibDems — ended with Mr McConnell’s defeat at the 2007 election.

Eighteen years on, the SNP is beginning a fifth term in office after Labour slumped to just 17 seats, leading to some Labour figures suggesting separation from the main party should be considered.

But the now Lord McConnell told BBC Radio Scotland: “I like the idea that Burnham is going to run a different kind of Labour Party in terms of debating ideas within the party and outwith the party.”

“Rather than close down that debate, which would have been the case under several leaders in the recent past, I think it’s really important that we can have these debates.

“I think the Scottish Labour Party’s got to have a proper debate, not just about its relationship with the UK party, but about its own policy platform, its ambitions, its internal structure and the campaigning style of the party, what we see the Scottish Parliament as being for.”

“I would strongly urge the leadership of the Scottish party — Douglas Alexander, Anas Sarwar, Jackie Baillie — I would urge them to open this debate up.”

SNP MSP Kate Campbell said: “This is a perennial debate in the Scottish Labour Party and will remain so for as long as they continue to deny the democratic right of the Scottish people to decide our own future.”