Nicola Sturgeon clashed with Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar during her final First Minister's Questions as SNP leader today.
The Scottish Labour leader called for an early Holyrood election as he claimed that whoever succeeds Sturgeon in the top job will have "no mandate" from the public.
And the out-going FM was also accused by the Scottish Tory leader of "treating the public like idiots" following the SNP membership row which saw the party mislead journalists.
The Presiding Officer had to intervene several times to appeal for calm amid howls from the backbenches.
With a new First Minister due to be declared next week at the conclusion of the SNP leadership race, it was Sturgeon’s final outing at the weekly bout – having taken part in 286 FMQs.
But Sturgeon was told today her successor would lack the legitimacy of winning a Scottish Parliament election.
Sarwar said: “Her successor inherits this woeful SNP record but they don’t inherit her mandate. The last election was a pandemic election.
"One which the First Minister won with a direct appeal from her to steer the country through the pandemic and the Covid recovery
"That recovery hasn’t even started - In fact by every metric things have got worse. And now Scotland is facing two crises – an NHS recovery that never began, and the cost-of-living crisis."
The Scottish Labour leader pointed to comments made by Sturgeon five months ago when she claimed a new election was a "democratic imperative" following the resignation of Liz Truss as Prime Minister.
Sarwar said he "couldn't agree more" and claimed a new Holyrood poll should now be held.
Ross used the session to raise the row over the SNP’s membership numbers, which saw Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell quit as the party’s chief executive.
He said: “Why did Nicola Sturgeon’s party, the party of Government in this Parliament, lie to the press and the public?”
Sturgeon said: “I’ve got nothing to add to what I have already said, except this: The SNP remains the only mass membership party in this country – more members than any other party represented in this chamber.”
She asked Mr Ross how many members the Scottish Conservatives have.
Ross said it is “absolutely clear” the SNP had lied to the press and the public, and declared: “Nicola Sturgeon is treating the public like idiots.”
This prompted Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone to intervene and remind him of the rules of using “particular language” in the chamber.
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