Something went wrong - please try again later.

Thank you for signing up to our Politics newsletter.

Sign up for our daily Politics briefing for political exclusives, analysis and debate.

The SNP “outstrips” Labour when it comes to intelligence and strategy, according to Johann Lamont’s former top advisor.

Paul Sinclair said Scottish Labour “looks lightweight” and “doesn’t seem to know what it is for” before branding it “a party of commentators rather than competence”.

After serving for three years as the Scottish Labour leader’s senior strategist and spin doctor, Mr Sinclair wrote in The Times about his frustration dealing with MPs.

He said: “It speaks to a belief that too many of our Scottish MPs regard Westminster as a way to escape Scottish politics rather than a way to represent Scotland.”

Mr Sinclair also said “the SNP have an intellectual and strategic capacity that outstrips the opposition” and Labour’s “young talent” at Holyrood, including Jenny Marra: “are only there by accident”.

SNP MSP James Dornan said: “The cat is out of the bag, and Paul Sinclair has confirmed what we all suspected a really bad attitude towards Scotland permeates the Labour Party, particularly their Westminster MPs.”

A Scottish Labour spokesman declined to comment.