Scottish referendum: Politicians ponder Scotland's future

The SNP is contemplating a change of leadership after First Minister Alex Salmond announced he is to stand down.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to speak in Fife on the lessons to be drawn from Thursday's referendum.

And delegates are to start gathering for the Labour conference in Manchester.

Mr Salmond, 59, is Scotland's longest-serving first minister, having held the post since the SNP won power at the Scottish Parliament in May 2007.

He has also served as leader of the SNP for a total of 20 years.

He announced on Friday that he would resign as SNP leader at the party's conference in November, before standing down as first minister when the party elects its next leader in a membership ballot.

Mr Salmond told journalists there were a "number of eminently qualified and very suitable candidates" to replace him, with his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, seen as a clear favourite.

He will stay on as MSP for Aberdeenshire East, and described serving Scotland as first minister as the "privilege of my life".

The big question for the nationalists is how they pick themselves up from Thursday's referendum defeat, but will take some solace from the fact that 45% of voters backed them, including many supporters of other parties.

Scottish Labour will also be seeking to make ground on the SNP after helping to win a "No" vote on Thursday.

Mr Brown has been credited in some quarters with helping to stall the "Yes" surge in the latter stages of the campaign. He has even hinted he might stand to become a Labour MSP at the Scottish Parliament.

He is due to speak in Dalgety Bay later about the importance of national unity following the heated referendum campaign.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Ed Miliband is due to arrive in Manchester ahead of the Labour conference, where delegates will be chewing over the referendum outcome.

Mr Miliband has made it clear that he is not likely to sign up to Prime Minister David Cameron's proposals to give new powers to English MPs.

The prime minister is proposing a system where only MPs from England would vote on English issues in Parliament.

He has also said the three main Westminster parties will deliver their campaign pledge to boost the powers of Scotland's devolved parliament.

Bakudaily.az