By Steve Bargeton, political editor

ROSEANNA CUNNINGHAM became the official bookies’ favourite to succeed John Swinney as leader of the SNP yesterday.

At the close of play yesterday the Perth MSP was still the only contender to throw her hat in the ring and was being quoted by William Hill at 1-3 on.

SNP justice spokesman Nicola Sturgeon is second favourite with odds of 3-1 and spent the day considering whether or not to stand.

“I am not going to make any snap decision about what I’m going to do,” she said.

“This is not just about individuals, it’s about what’s best for the SNP, and I don’t have a monopoly of wisdom on that.”

Veteran left-winger Alex Neil (9-1) was also still making up his mind, as was SNP finance spokesman Fergus Ewing (10-1).

Despite the fact he has firmly ruled himself out of the contest, the bookmakers were still quoting former SNP leader Alex Salmond at 12-1.

The party’s transport spokesman, Kenny MacAskill, was believed to be no longer a potential contender for the leadership race, which reflected his starting price of 40-1.

And former MSP Mike Russell was ranked as a complete outsider at 50-1.

Meanwhile, Ms Cunningham started the process of setting out her leadership stall, promising a change in style if she emerges victorious in September.

Putting the SNP’s core policy of independence to the fore, she said, “I did not travel 12,000 miles back from Australia in order to fight for devolution, and finish it there.”

Ms Cunningham also said she believed the party suffered from a “confused message” over independence in recent years.

“We also have to accept that the Parliament isn’t the be-all and end-all of politics in Scotland,” she said.

“And it is important that while we do a very good job in Parliament, because it’s true that people are going to have to have confidence in Scottish politics, nevertheless we also have to take the message outside Parliament to people in the country.

“We haven’t been focusing the party as clearly as we might, and I certainly don’t think we have been making sufficient use of the social justice credentials of the party.

“I think we have to clothe independence—we’ve been basically asking people to vote for an abstract concept, and I don’t think that’s ever going to be really acceptable.

“It might be something that activists are happy about but people in the country are looking to see far more than that, and we have to be very clear about the kind of Scotland we are looking for.”

Ms Cunningham said that whatever the outcome of the leadership election the party must accept it and rally round the new leader. “The party must get behind that leader.”