ALEX Salmond steps down as SNP leader at the party's conference in Perth today.

He will make his farewell speech before Nicola Sturgeon is confirmed as his successor and makes her first speech tomorrow.

Mr Salmond took First Minister's Questions at Holyrood for the final time yesterday and faced accusations of failure as Labour's Jackie Baillie, said he failed to make Scotland a better place.

On education, health and justice she said his seven years in office has been a time of "chaos and cuts."

His leadership will be debated next week, but the final First Minister's Questions was one last opportunity for Labour to put his record under pressure.

Ms Baillie said: "Mike Russell, Alex Neil and Kenny MacAskill have presided over education cuts, an NHS in crisis and a justice system in chaos. Yet again the First Minister was forced to defend their record as Ministers but the people of Scotland know they are letting students, patients and the justice system down."

"We know the First Minister was passionate about independence. The tragedy is that he was so blinkered by that passion that Government actions to tackle poverty, reduce inequality and deliver social justice were pushed into second place."

"His legacy as First Minister will be his failure to use the powers at his disposal to make Scotland a better place."

Mr Salmond said he had handled 215 First Minister's Question sessions and had seen off a succession of Labour leaders.

He returned the attack on Labour by warning the party would be judged by the voters for campaigning with the conservatives during the referendum.

He said: "People in Scotland may not know what Labour stands for, but they know who they stood with. Any party in alliance with the Tories is destined for destruction."

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