The row over a Holyrood ban on Wendy Alexander yesterday flared up afresh when a Labour MSP called on Alex Salmond to act against a Nationalist MSP.

Labour's Richard Simpson said Mr Salmond should put pressure on Keith Brown to stand down as convener of Holyrood's standards committee for being "blatantly partisan".

Dr Simpson's demand was dismissed by a spokesman for the First Minister.

"Instead of trying to undermine a parliamentary committee which has gone about its business in an entirely proper way, Richard Simpson and the Labour Party would do better to draw lessons from this matter and move on," said the spokesman.

The row followed Thursday's heated debate in the Scottish Parliament on the standards committee's report on Ms Alexander.

It had recommended she be banned from Holyrood for one day after it decided she broke the rules by failing to promptly register donations to her Labour leadership campaign.

But after the debate, MSPs voted against suspending her.

Dr Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said Mr Salmond should seek Mr Brown's resignation as convener of the committee.

Dr Simpson said: "Yesterday's vote was a clear indicator that MSPs on all sides of the chamber have lost faith in one of the most important committees at Holyrood and lost faith in the man charged to lead that committee.

"Mr Brown's stewardship of the committee has been exposed as blatantly partisan and I believe the First Minister should give very serious consideration to asking Keith Brown to resign as committee convener.

"What is needed now is a more experienced politician who is willing to lead the committee free of party political influence as has been the case with every previous convener."

Mr Brown added: "The committee has an obligation to make recommendations to the parliament, which it has done.

"The parliament has a right to take a decision on those recommendations.

"The committee will now continue with its work."