STV poll predicts Labour election decline in Scotland

Labour politicians will pay a price "for a generation" for campaigning alongside Conservatives in the independence referendum, Alex Salmond has said.

The outgoing Scottish First Minister told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show:

Scotland's outgoing first minister will make up his mind in the next few weeks on whether he will stand for a Westminster seat at the next election, Alex Salmond has said.

Mr Salmond said it was "unlikely" the SNP would form a coalition with the Labour Party, but added "parties change sometimes".

Speaking on BBC 1's Andrew Marr Show: "I certainly think that there is no chance of us whatsoever of the SNP ever going into a coalition with a Conservative Party, given their attitude towards Scotland, and indeed their attitude towards people in general.

"I intend to continue in politics and I intend to continue to represent the people of the north east of the Scotland, if they wish to elect me".

Labour leader Ed Miliband has admitted to ITV News the scale of the challenge facing his party in Scotland.

It comes after a new STV poll suggested a virtual wipe out of Scottish Labour MPs if there was an election tomorrow.

ITV News' Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen spoke to Mr Miliband in Glasgow.

Anas Sarwar has resigned as deputy leader of the Scottish Labour Party.

The Glasgow Central MP will remain in his current role as interim leader of the party until a new leader is announced in December.

It comes after fellow Labour MP Jim Murphy announced his intention to enter the party leadership race. If Mr Murphy was elected and Mr Sarwar remained deputy leader it would leave the Scottish Labour Party without a leader at Holyrood.

Mr Sarwar, who became interim leader following Johann Lamont's resignation, said: "I have come to a decision I believe is in the best interest of the Scottish Labour Party. It's my intention to hand over the leadership to a new team on December 13.

"While remaining in post until that time as interim leader, I think it is also right that we have a concurrent leadership and deputy leadership election.

"This will allow the Scottish Labour Party, its members and affiliates the opportunity to not only elect a new leader but a new leadership team focused on winning in 2016."

SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon said support for the party is further proof that the referendum has changed Scottish politics.

Membership of the party has more than tripled to over 83,000 since the No vote on independence last month.

In light of results of an Ipsos MORI poll, which put the nationalists' well above the three main Westminster parties', Sturgeon said: "More and more people are choosing to put their trust in the SNP as disillusion with the entire Westminster establishment grows.

"London Labour's treatment of their party in Scotland as nothing more than a 'branch office' has left them in meltdown.

"As a result, people across the country realise that Ed Miliband doesn't speak for them and Labour support is in freefall."

A new poll suggests Labour and the Liberal Democrats are both facing potential general election disaster in Scotland.

The survey for STV suggests if there were an election tomorrow, the SNP would register a massive landslide, winning 54 of the 59 Scottish seats up for grabs.

Labour would shrink from 40 MPs to just four, while the Liberal Democrats would lose all but one of their 11 MPs.

The poll puts the nationalists' overall on 52%, well above the three main Westminster parties' combined total.

The Ipsos MORI poll conducted over the weekend gave the parties the following ratings:

SNP - 52% Labour - 23% Conservatives - 10% Liberal Democrats - 6%

Ipsos MORI surveyed 1026 participants were between October 22 and 29.

Read: Jim Murphy confirms Scottish Labour leadership bid

Jim Murphy has vowed to end the "period of self harm" that Scottish Labour has been through if he becomes party leader.

The Shadow International Development Secretary has announced his candidacy for the leadership, joining MSPs Neil Findlay and Sarah Boyack in the race to replace Johann Lamont, who resigned on Friday

Mr Murphy told BBC News he was confident the party could produce a strong performance in next year's general election.

"I'm not interested in left-wing Labour or right-wing Labour, or old Labour or new Labour. I'm interested in losing Labour," he said.

"I want to end that period of losing Labour here in Scotland, starting with the UK general election in 2015, where I'm confident we can hold all the seats we currently have but pick up one or two on top and also win that election in 2016 for the Scottish Parliament."

Ed Miliband has denied claims by ex-Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont that he treated Scotland as a "branch office".

Speaking for the first time since Lamont announced her resignation, Miliband said he respected the politician's "grit and determination" and was proud of her work during the referendum campaign.

Mr Miliband told the Daily Record that he saw the situation "differently from the way it's been described".

"The referendum was led by Scottish Labour with others providing support, like the 100 Labour MPs coming up to campaign.

"I just see it a different way."

Jim Murphy MP has announced he is to stand as the next leader of the Scottish Labour Party in a bid to become the First Minister.

The East Renfrewshire MP said: "I'm standing for First Minister of Scotland and I intend to win.

"I want to bring Scotland back together after the referendum. There is so much to be proud of in Scotland but so much we have to change.

"I've travelled to every part of our country and I know that people want us to get on with tackling poverty and increasing prosperity. As leader of Scottish Labour and as First Minister of Scotland that is exactly what I will do."

He will launch a formal campaign later this week and will face MSPs Neil Findlay and Sarah Boyack in the race to replace Johann Lamont, who resigned on Friday with a stinging attack on UK Labour colleagues who she accused of treating Scotland as a "branch office".