The decision of seven Labour MPs to split from the party shows it is "not fit for purpose", the SNP has said.

The nationalists' Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the resignations, revealed on Monday morning, would "strengthen Theresa May" and showed the UK Parliament is "completely dysfunctional".

Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Gavin Shuker, Mike Gapes, Ann Coffey and Chuka Umunna announced their decisions to quit at a press conference in London.

Scottish Labour MP Ian Murray, who has been critical of Jeremy Corbyn's handling of Brexit and anti-Semitism complaints, did not join the splitters.

But the Edinburgh South MP accused the Labour leadership of "breaking the broad church that this party once built its electoral success upon".

The seven breakaway MPs have formed a new parliamentary grouping called The Independent Group, with a mission statement on its website which slams their former party.

It charges Corbyn's Labour with pursuing policies that accept "the narratives of states hostile to our country" and failing to "take a lead in addressing the challenge of Brexit".

The Labour leader said he was "disappointed" at their decision to resign from the party.

Blackford said the schism proved that both main Westminster parties are "more interested in their own bitter disputes than the future of the country".

The SNP MP said: "Labour are not fit for purpose - they are failing as an opposition, failing over Brexit and failing their own MPs.

"If even his own MPs can't trust Jeremy Corbyn then why should the people of Scotland?

"Ultimately this split will strengthen Theresa May and make it even more likely that the Tories stay in power through Brexit and beyond.

"Westminster is now completely dysfunctional, with warring factions on both sides of the house more interested in their own bitter disputes than the future of the country.

"It is increasingly obvious that decisions about Scotland need to be taken here in Scotland and not at Westminster."

In a statement, Corbyn said: "I am disappointed that these MPs have felt unable to continue to work together for the Labour policies that inspired millions at the last election and saw us increase our vote by the largest share since 1945.

"Labour won people over on a programme for the many not the few - redistributing wealth and power, taking vital resources into public ownership, investing in every region and nation, and tackling climate change.

"The Conservative government is bungling Brexit, while Labour has set out a unifying and credible alternative plan."