Former energy minister Brian Wilson

The electoral system used to choose members of the Scottish parliament has been strongly criticised by a senior Labour MP.

Speaking on Wednesday, former energy minister Brian Wilson branded the parliament's regional MSPs "an underemployed waste of space" and called for the system that elects them to be replaced.

At present, a two-tier situation exists where MSPs are elected to represent either a constituency on a first-past-the-post basis or a region through a separate closed list additional member system.

Campaigners have called for this system to be replaced with a Single Transferable Vote mechanism.

There are currently 56 list MSPs, four of whom represent Labour.

"In the Highlands and Islands, every one of these people finished third in constituency elections, yet as a consolation prize, they are made MSPs anyway," said Wilson.

"I don't see anything democratic about that at all," he added.

"Personally I would not weep any tears if the list system was done away with. I regard list MSPs as a breed, as an underemployed waste of space. They have no constituency, they have no role and they are not elected by anyone."

But one of the four Labour list MSPs, education minister Peter Peacock, rejected the former Westminster minister's comments.

"I am neither underemployed or a waste of space and am on my way to give evidence to a parliamentary committee and so have to go," Peacock told the BBC.