SCOTTISH Labour's problems are not down to who they have as leader, but on the party's opposition to independence and a second independence referendum, according to John Swinney.

The deputy first minister argued the party's stances on both issues had "alienated" supporters on the "moderate left of centre" and that this situation would continue with the party having continually look for new leaders until it had resolved this "fundamental" matter.

"I'm sorry for Richard Leonard. Richard is a very decent man and I've always had very decent and purposeful dealings with him and its tough when you have to leave political leadership. But he's had an impossible job.

"His party is fundamentally unhappy and divided and at odds with the people most likely to support them," Swinney told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland earlier today.

READ MORE: Scottish Labour in crisis as Richard Leonard quits before key Holyrood poll

"Because Labour's problem is not who their leader is, their problem is their politics. Most moderate left of centre voters want us to have independence or at least a referendum on independence, and Labour has alienated all these people by their stances and until they resolve that issue, it will just be another leader, after another leader, after another leader as it has been for the last 11 years."

Scottish Labour will begin the search for its 10th leader since 1999 following the sudden resignation yesterday of Leonard.

Leonard, who held the position since November 2017, announced yesterday he was stepping down with immediate effect.

His departure leaves the party hunting for its fifth leader in the last seven years and tenth since devolution.

A Scottish Labour Procedures Committee, to oversee the election of Leonard's successor, has been formed and is having its first meeting today.

Meanwhile, Labour's Scottish Executive Committee will also meet in the coming days to agree a timetable for the process - with the party having to fight the Holyrood elections in May.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer told Scottish Labour bigwigs that Richard Leonard had to go

MSP Jackie Baillie, who was Scottish Labour's deputy leader, takes charge of the party on an interim basis.

And she said Labour would face the "fight of our lives" in the upcoming Scottish Parliament election campaign.

Baillie said: "I thank Richard for his service to our party and his genuine commitment to the values we all hold dear.

"Scottish Labour has set the agenda for Scotland's recovery from the pandemic, forcing the SNP government to commit to a National Care Service and a youth jobs guarantee."

She added: "We face the fight of our lives in the run-up to the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections.

"But as we fight for every vote and seat, we will come together to hold the SNP and Tories to account for their record of failure.

The National:

Richard Leonard and Labour MSP Anas Sarwar sit together in the Scottish Parliament.       Photo Gordon Terris.

"I know Richard will continue to work hard to campaign for a Scottish Labour government as an MSP, and as our lead candidate in Central Scotland in the Scottish Parliament elections."

Former MSP Cara Hilton, now the chair of Labour's Scottish executive committee, also paid tribute to him, saying: "Richard Leonard has led our party with principle and integrity in the most challenging of circumstances.

"As a campaigning opposition leader, he has developed a strong policy platform and forced the SNP Government to accept the case for a National Care Service.

"While working hard to hold the SNP and Tory governments to account, he has always been generous with his time and support for all aspects of our party activity. On behalf of the SEC and the entire Scottish Labour Party, I would like to thank Richard for his service. I look forward to working with him in the future."

Later on Good Morning Scotland the former Labour leader Lord McConnell insisted a new party leader could be successful and could, he claimed fill the gap between the "extreme" Unionist and independence positions which dominate Scotland's politics.

He insisted Leonard, who resigned as Scottish Labour leader on Thursday, is a "really decent guy" but his leadership "wasn't connecting in a way that was going to turn the fortunes of the party".

The former first minister argued there is now a "huge, yawning opportunity" for the Scottish Labour Party to occupy the centre ground of Scottish politics that is divided on the issue of independence.

Lord McConnell, Scottish Labour's longest-serving leader who led the party for more than five years, acknowledged whoever succeeds Leonard faces a "long-term project", with the party currently languishing as the third biggest at Holyrood.

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "Scotland desperately needs a strong social-democratic force that is primarily interested in the welfare of the people, the strength of our economy and the effectiveness of public services.

"That is missing in Scottish politics at the moment and there's a huge, yawning gap there that the Scottish Labour Party can fill with leadership, ideas, vision and ambition.

"We need to start to rebuild our organisation, rebuild the confidence, our unity, but more, much more importantly, put the policies in place that inspire people to support us and shows us as a social-democratic force in Scotland that cares about our economy, cares about public services and cares about our society - more than it cares about a polarised constitutional debate.

"I think that is something that could inspire the people of Scotland again and it will do if the leader gets it right."

Looking ahead to the leadership contest, he advised members to pick a candidate "who wants to be first minister, not just leader of the Labour Party".

He continued: "The Labour Party, while it has a huge challenge on its hands rebuilding support in Scotland, also has a massive opportunity.

"Because of the division and the extremes that are there between, on the one side, extreme nationalism and, on the other side, the Conservatives who I think are exposed as extreme unionists.

"There's a really big gap in the middle there where Labour can be the party of policy and about vision for the country and the economy of the country and the services inside the country and our society.

"A strong Labour leader, with a strong party with a clear mission and good policies can actually fill that gap."