A cabinet secretary vying to become deputy leader of the SNP has proposed some "uncomfortable" changes to the way the party is run.

Angela Constance launched her deputy leadership bid last week with a pointed appeal to the tens of thousands of new SNP members who joined in the wake of the independence referendum.

She has now pledged to give rank and file members a more prominent voice within the party, and remove the "special privileges" afforded to the SNP's elected members in parliament.

The "radical new measures" will create "a party fit for the people", according to Ms Constance who was recently promoted to Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women's Employment.

Membership of the SNP has trebled since the referendum to more that 76,000 members, with a large proportion of them securing party voting rights before the cut-off point on September 23.

At present parliamentarians are afforded full delegate rights at conference simply by registering to attend, but rank and file members only gain voting and speaking rights though election as a delegate by their parent branch or through election as an elected member by conference itself.

Ms Constance is also proposing mechanisms to support a close working relationship with the wider Yes movement and grassroots organisations.

Any non-party political organisation that expressed support for independence would be able to become an affiliated body to the SNP after approval by the national conference and be entitled to non-voting participation on the party's national executive committee as well as full delegate participation at subsequent conferences.

Organisations which might choose to apply for this status include Women for Independence, Business for Scotland and the Common Weal.

Ms Constance said: "We must embrace the new politics and the opportunities afforded to the SNP with a trebling of our membership by enabling the full involvement of the membership and the wider Yes movement.

"Substantial but managed reform is required to build on the most precious asset of the Yes movement; its supporters, members and activists.

"I know these proposals will be uncomfortable for some but this is not about politicians or parliaments, this is about empowering people to lead. Only by employing the abilities of all our members and the wider Yes community can our movement be all it can be.

"Our branches and grassroots structure is important and needs to be carefully nurtured. Policy development and political organisation needs to be brought closer to the members through the establishment of properly resourced and constituted regional organisations that can provide a clear focus for the engagement of our massively expanded membership.

"I have always been very proud of the SNP because of its highly democratic approach and its ability to discuss difficult issues in the open. And, of course, my suggestions about how we move forward would have to be discussed, debated and decided by the party at large.

"I do believe, however, that as a candidate for depute leader of the SNP that it is incumbent upon me to set out my stall with some substantial and coherent suggestions."

Ms Constance said she will publish more detail about her proposed reforms to the party's policy-making processes and grassroots organisation in the coming days.