A former first minister of Scotland has said chaos over exam results is "not good enough for Scotland".

Lord Jack McConnell issued a stark warning to Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney after almost 125,000 pupils had their exam results downgraded.

He said the pair should "get it fixed or go".

Education secretary Mr Swinney is facing calls to resign, with Scottish Labour planning to table a motion of no confidence in him at Holyrood.

READ MORE: Jack McConnell appeals for full-time schooling and slams ‘blended learning’ strategy

In a piece for the Sunday Times, Lord McConnell reflected on the lessons learned from the year 2000 when the wrong – or no – results were received by 20,000 school and college students across Scotland.

He wrote: “Lessons learnt, honesty, good judgment and hard work had turned it around… Yet, 20 years on, thousands of young dreams have been shattered again.

“In 2000, the chaos was indiscriminate. It affected students no matter their postcode – but in 2020 it is targeted.

“In 2000, it was incompetence and overload – but in 2020 it seems to have been deliberate and ignored.”

He then called for the First Minister and her deputy to "announce an immediate and urgent review" of results within the next 48 hours.

He added: “For the First Minister and Education Secretary to have accepted these grades and to defend them because children in these schools have always done worse is breathtaking.

“Others, already traumatised by months of lockdown and now feeling powerless, will simply give up.

READ MORE: Jack McConnell attacks 'woeful' lack of co-ordination between four nations during lockdown announcements

“Meanwhile, ministers expect to keep their well-paid jobs and careers and carry on regardless.

“Every headteacher (there are only 357) should be contacted by the end of this week to highlight specific problems. Group appeals should be allowed from schools where the results are clearly wrong. Appeals should allow changes up to A passes where they are deserved.

“This should be completed before the end of August.

“Put the teachers and pupils at the centre of the system. Lessons learnt, honest judgment and hard work. Get it fixed – or go.”