The backbiting world of Scottish Labour politics has been plunged into renewed controversy with the publication of self-justificatory memoirs by Henry McLeish in which the former professional footballer-turned-MP fiercely attacks Jack McConnell, his successor as Scotland's first minister.

This week's serialisation of Scotland First: Truth and Consequences (Mainstream, £15.99) in the mass-circulation Daily Record appears timed to embarrass former colleagues ahead of Labour's Scottish conference in Inverness this weekend which will be addressed by Tony Blair.

It has been greeted with a mixture of anger, disdain and laughter since some of Mr McLeish's recollections of high office are either obvious or banal. On a visit to the US he met both President Bush and Sir Sean Connery. "It is hard to say which was more impressive."

Mr McLeish remained silent for two years after being forced to resign from the job he inherited from the late Donald Dewar when he was found to have sub-let his Fife Central constituency office while claiming expenses from Westminster.

He called it "a muddle not a fiddle" and blames his old rival, Mr McConnell, Labour's Scottish general secretary dur ing the 1990s, for briefing relentlessly against him. Westminster MPs, also criticised by Mr McLeish, claim that Mr McLeish was no mean briefer himself.

"It is true Henry belonged to no cliques, he was only out for himself. Everything that happened was someone else's fault," one Scots Labour MP said yesterday. "His book is badly-written, self-centred and confused."

Among Mr McLeish's charges are that Mr Dewar repeatedly ignored his advice on the choice of a home for the Scottish parliament, the cost of which has now spiralled to £400m. A professional footballer who played briefly for Leeds United (but never a complete game), he later became a town planner before becoming an MP in 1989.

Among his charges against Mr McConnell, who is declin ing all comment, is that he sacked talented ministers and advisers, sabotaged Scotland's hopes to stage the Euro 2008 football finals, failed to exploit Scotland's devolved powers and snubbed the SNP-supporting Sir Sean's offers to promote Scotland.

"It was reported that while Sir Sean could work easily with me, he could not say the same about my successor," writes Mr McLeish, now a visiting professor in Oklahoma. He claims that a "suspicious parcel" which the special branch examined at his home had been sent by Mr McConnell.

While keen not to choose between the talents of Mr Blair, whom he backed for party leader, and Gordon Brown, who made and unmade him as first minister, Mr McLeish has a good word for John Reid, despite his dismay at the small workload he had as Scottish secretary ("you've left us bugger all") thanks to devolution.

When Mr Reid arrived at Edinburgh airport there was no car to pick him up. All he said was: "It's not a big deal, just tell me which number bus to get."

· The cost of the Holyrood building has shot up by around £30m to stand at more than £430m, the presiding officer, George Reid, said yesterday. He blamed the rise on building delays and extra costs caused by the scramble to finish the new parliament in time for the summer.

He claimed that the latest increase "ought to be the last" but warned that the cost would go up again if the project was not finished by the summer.