Tom Peterkin: It might be no bad thing for Labour if Iain Gray hung on a bit longer

With all eyes fixed on an emboldened Alex Salmond and his battle for constitutional change, it is easy to overlook the travails of the decimated opposition parties. But if Labour, the Conservatives and Lib Dems are to take the fight to the SNP, they have got to get their acts together pronto.

So far, only the Lib Dems have moved swiftly. The quick installation of Willie Rennie as leader should enable them to start rebuilding. But it will be a long road before they are regarded as much more than a side-show given they now have only five MSPs. The same problem afflicts the Conservatives – albeit to a lesser extent, given their Holyrood meltdown was not quite as severe. The Tories soldier on under Annabel Goldie in the knowledge she will be replaced in time for the autumn parliamentary session.

Labour limp along with Iain Gray still in charge. Unlike the Conservatives, Labour's big problem is there is no obvious successor. On the Conservative side of the chamber, Murdo Fraser is waiting in the wings to take over from Goldie. In the Holyrood canteen, there is talk of Jackson Carlaw, John Lamont, Gavin Brown and newcomer Ruth Davidson as potential successors, although Fraser must be favourite. The point is that at least the Tories have some realistic leadership contenders.

The paucity of talent on the Labour benches means potential leaders are thin on the ground. During the days of Labour domination, there always seemed to be politicians with leadership ambitions keeping an eye on the incumbent. As one MSP, who survived Labour's collapse, remarked: "When Henry McLeish was leader, Jack McConnell was always regarded as the prince over the water. When Jack was leader, there were murmurings and mutterings, although no single obvious candidate emerged. But there have been no murmurings and mutterings in the three years of Iain Gray's leadership. Iain has run a good ship internally."

So while Gray singularly failed to persuade the electorate he would have made an effective Scottish leader, he is still popular within what remains of the party he led to defeat. So much so that there has been some chatter about him staying beyond the party's autumn review, so he can drive through some of the reforms Labour so desperately needs.

In that way, Gray would not simply be remembered as the man who led Labour to the most disastrous Scottish result in history. By staying on, his legacy would be that of a honourable leader who stayed on to reform a complacent party.

But given the SNP threat to the Union, it is questionable whether Labour can afford to struggle on for much longer with an election-losing leader. Such a scenario, however, has merit in that it would allow one of Labour's new MSPs to step up to the mark. What about Graeme Pearson, former director general of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency and now list member for South Scotland? Just a thought.