Alex Salmond yesterday dismissed Wendy Alexander's call for an early referendum on independence as the beleaguered Scottish Labour leader was ridiculed by all the party leaders in the Scottish Parliament over the chaos which has engulfed her party.

The First Minister mocked Ms Alexander over the turmoil which has gripped Labour following her U-turn on the issue and he made it clear that his party would not shift its position on holding a plebicite in 2010. “We'll stick to what was laid out in the SNP manifesto,” he said.

“While I would not say Wendy Alexander is the only problem the Labour Party has, I think quite convincingly after the last few days that she is not the answer.”

During a heated Question Time session at Holyrood, Ms Alexander challenged the Nationalist leader to bring forward a referendum Bill in next year's legislative programme, which is due to be announced next week. Defying the Prime Minister's demand to await the outcome of the Calman Commission before making any decisions, she said: “The First Minister has been a Nationalist all his political life. I'm giving him the opportunity to resolve the issue. Why won't he take it?”

Mr Salmond retorted: “Week after week, Wendy Alexander comes and demands that we stick to the SNP manifesto. Now she's telling us we shouldn't stick to the manifesto and the 2010 date. Does she not feel her credibility on keeping manifesto promises is being somewhat damaged by this process?”

After a week of confusion over her party's policy on a referendum, the Scottish Labour leader made it clear to MSPs that she would support a Bill being brought forward to end the constitutional uncertainty that was being felt in the country. Ms Alexander also goaded the SNP over their refusal to let the Scottish people have a say sooner rather than later.

The SNP administration at Holyrood says that it wants to hold a referendum in 2010 after it has had a chance to prove itself in government.

In a major policy shift, Ms Alexander revealed last weekend that she was prepared to gamble on a snap referendum which she believes would result in a defeat for Alex Salmond.

Her credibility has been dented after she threatened to bring forward her own referendum Bill, a prospect which angered the Prime Minister and, it later transpired, would fall foul of parliamentary rules. Ms Alexander yesterday maintained her pledge to support a Bill brought forward by the Nationalists.

Although Labour is prepared to support a public vote being held now, it is far from certain that they will back a referendum Bill in two years' time.

In addition to causing a rift with the Prime Minister, Ms Alexander's conversion to the referendum cause has infuriated the other opposition leaders in the Scottish Parliament, who agreed to take part in the Calman Commission that she proposed to look into extra powers for the Scottish Parliament.

Annabel Goldie, the Scottish Conservative leader, and Nicol Stephen, the Liberal Democrat leader, believe that she has undermined the commission with her call for an early referendum. Instead of using First Minister's Questions to hold Alex Salmond to account, they used the parliamentary session to turn on the Labour leader.

Ms Goldie said: “Who would have thought that a Labour Prime Minister and a Scottish Labour leader would be the SNP's greatest ally in breaking up Britain. The future of Scotland and Britain may not matter to the Labour Party, but it does matter to David Cameron and it does matter to me.”

Nicol Stephen yesterday claimed that Labour had become a “farcical floorshow”.

Ms Alexander's woes were again raised in the Commons yesterday after her brother, the International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander, failed to arrive in time for a debate. This forced the suspension of Parliament and prompted jibes from Conservative MPs that his sister's problems were the reason.

Mr Alexander apologised for his late arrival but gave no reason for it.

Meanwhile, in a letter to the Prime Minister, David Cameron, the Tory leader, said that the exchanges between Ms Alexander and Mr Salmond had demolished Mr Brown's denials during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday that he and Ms Alexander were at odds over a referendum.

In the letter Mr Cameron said: “Anyone comparing what you have claimed, and what Wendy Alexander has repeated again this morning, will conclude that either you have been completely unclear and misleading in your replies to my questions, or you have lost control of your party - or perhaps it is a combination of the two.”

Mr Cameron accused the Prime Minister of “exactly the sort of linguistic gymnastics that is making people confused, and ever angry with your style of leadership”.

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