Ukip's Scottish leader David Coburn has denied the party is in a "death spiral".

The outspoken MEP, who has hinted he is considering running for the party's leadership, said Ukip must "pull itself together" following the high-profile resignation of leadership favourite Steven Woolfe.

Woolfe, who was recently left needing hospital treatment following an "altercation" with another Ukip MEP, resigned on Monday saying the party had become "ungovernable" and was in a "death spiral".

Coburn is the party's only Scottish MEP and has hit headlines over his controversial comments since his election in 2014, including an alleged slur referring to SNP minister Humza Yousaf.

Posting on Twitter on Tuesday morning, he told a supporter he would "probably" run.

Speaking to STV News, he said: "I think the party has to pull itself together. I wouldn't say it's a death spiral at all.

"We need to stand up for ordinary people. We're not smooth people, we're not perfect but at least you get a real person and not some manufactured politician."

He added: "Ukip is controversial, I don't think people would vote for someone who isn't controversial. Politics shouldn't just be a bunch of smoothies."

Coburn said he had not yet decided on a leadership bid, saying: "It's country, party, self last."

He added: "We're a libertarian party, which means we don't tell people what to do. That also means we need some form of self-containment."

The MEP said he was a libertarian and didn't offer "Pashmina politics - the sleepy politics you get from the other parties".

He said: "Nobody's interested in what the people in the country want. The Tories only want what big business wants. Labour only want what the unions want.

"We do what the people want. That's what I think the vast majority of 'kippers want. It's about putting power in people's hands."

He said leading the party was not an "ordinary job", adding: "You've got no private life and your life is not your own.

"I've been dealing with Scotland, I have a fair notion of the problem involved.

"We have our own press corps and I've been dealing with that."

Nominations for Ukip's leadership close at the end of October and the new leader is expected to be in place by November 28.

Candidates must receive 75 signatures from at least ten branches and pay a £5,000 deposit.

Speaking on Monday, Steven Woolfe said he had decided to resign as he had "come to the conclusion that UKIP is ungovernable without Nigel Farage leading it and the referendum cause to unite it".

He said he intends to sit an independent MEP in the European Parliament.

Responding to Coburn's remarks, an SNP spokesman said: "David Coburn is a buffoon, whose poisonous views and toxic party were roundly rejected by Scottish voters in May.

"His personal approval ratings sit at an embarrassing minus 22 points, as Ukip disintegrate UK-wide and remain an utter irrelevance in Scottish politics."