Councillors in Scotland will be elected by proportional representation under legislation published on Monday.

The move forms part of the coalition agreement reached between Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

The Local Governance Bill will also give councillors salaries and pension rights, and lower the minimum age for candidates to 18 years old.

But opponents from within the Labour Party itself have argued that the move to a Single Transferable Vote [STV] system will "obliterate" the link between local government and the electorate.

"I don't see any evidence whatsoever that STV in local government will improve local government," said Glasgow Springburn MSP Paul Martin.

"At the moment I don't see any way possible that I could vote in favour of that proposal."

Dunfermline East MSP Helen Eadie described the move as an example of "the tail wagging the dog".

"It's about one of the smallest parties in the parliament wanting to use the power that they have to try to force through issues that they want to see steamrollered through," she said.

"This isn't democratic and aren't the principles on which this parliament was founded."

But Liberal Democrats have warned that the coalition could collapse if the legislation isn't passed.

"It is an essential part of the coalition with the Labour Party, which signed up to this agreement and should see it through," said Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland.

"We expect the agreement on STV to go through and if it doesn't I don't think the coalition could survive."