By Steve Bargeton, political editor

BARRING A surprise last-minute challenge Wendy Alexander will be crowned the new leader of the Labour Party in Scotland when nominations close at noon today.

Yesterday she launched a scathing attack on the SNP minority Scottish government and served notice that she was ready to take on First Minister Alex Salmond in snap general election.

There is continued speculation that Prime Minister Gordon Brown might go to the country in the autumn while he is still enjoying a lead in the opinion polls.

Ms Alexander, a close ally of Mr Brown, said yesterday that her cabinet minister brother Douglas had given her no hint when the next election might be held.

“I think the general election offers a big opportunity for us in Scotland to align the Scottish Labour Party with a much more aspirational Scotland,” she said.

“What has happened is that people’s aspirations in Scotland have changed.

“I think they look around Scottish politics and feel perhaps that nobody’s speaking up for their priorities.

“And I will certainly want to be using the general election campaign to say Labour is listening, we are learning, we are reforming, and we are renewing.”

Attacking the SNP’s plans for independence she said, “Alex Salmond is only asking one question to which he had already been given the answer, which is separation.

“We are 100 days into the SNP administration and we have had one Bill and it’s on a referendum on independence.

“While I think Scotland wanted change, it wanted social and economic change rather than constitutional change.”

Ms Alexander also put herself at odds with her Labour colleague Scottish Secretary Des Browne who this week said there was no need for any further constitutional change.

“The issue that’s dominating Scottish politics is between those of us who want to make the UK work better and those who simply want to exit it altogether,” she said.

“That of course is the position Alex Salmond is in, and that’s the ground on which we need to contest and say the people of Scotland are not with you on wanting to leave the United Kingdom and we are going to be the ones who speak up for their priorities.

“I think in particular we need to think about how politicians in Scotland are more accountable for the spending decisions they make.

“But I think the danger is that the SNP are becoming obsessed with the constitutional issue.

“They are worried about how high the flag flies over Edinburgh Castle, or what happens to firearms or fertility law or a lot of obscure things like this, when actually what the people of Scotland are interested in is what’s happening in their schools and hospitals and whether they can find new homes.”