Former first minister Jack McConnell has played down claims that he held talks over a potential role within a future Conservative government.

The ex-Labour leader in Scotland was said to have held talks with other senior Tories in London last year.

It was reported that he had met shadow foreign secretary William Hague to discuss his options in a possible international role.

However, in a statement, Mr McConnell said he meets people "across the political spectrum" at home and abroad. A spokeswoman for the Motherwell and Wishaw MSP said the meeting with Mr Hague was not a secret and "did not involve any job offer".

"As the prime minister's special representative on peacebuilding, Mr McConnell briefed Mr Hague on UK and international peacebuilding efforts and current developments such as the 2010 review of the UN Peacebuilding Commission," the spokeswoman added.

His political opponents had seized on the newspaper allegations, saying he had undermined Labour's election hopes. John Wilson, SNP MSP for Central Scotland, said: "How can Labour ask anyone in Motherwell and Wishaw or even in Scotland to vote for them when their local MSP is already cosying up to the Tories?

"Jack McConnell has undermined Labour's election and undermined Gordon Brown's leadership of the Labour party."

However, Mr McConnell's spokeswoman said: "Jack will be campaigning for a Labour victory at the election. Indeed, just last Wednesday he was campaigning in Edinburgh, knocking on doors and talking to voters in support of Labour's candidate for Edinburgh East, Sheila Gilmore.

"No-one doubts Jack's commitment to Labour's campaign."