JUSTICE Secretary Kenny MacAskill has clung on to his job after surviving a no confidence vote at Holyrood.

MSPs rejected a call for him to resign by 62 votes to 54, with a single abstention.

First Minister Alex Salmond led an almost full complement of SNP MSPs backing the embattled minister after he faced claims he had "abandoned his responsibilities".

MSPs voted on a motion tabled by Graeme Pearson, Scottish Labour's justice spokesman, which accused Mr MacAskill of a "failure to provide effective governance of Police Scotland".

It criticised the long-serving Justice Secretary for not ensuring proper oversight of the force during recent controversies over the use of armed officers on routine patrols - a policy since scrapped amid growing public disquiet - and the way it sets performance targets.

The Scottish Police Authority was consulted on neither policy despite assurances from Mr MacAskill that the civilian watchdog body was able to hold the chief constable to account.

Speaking after the vote, Mr Pearson, a former senior police officer, said: "I'm disappointed the SNP have decided to fall in line and failed to put the integrity of the justice system before party politics.

"This is not a publicity stunt, it is a justice secretary that is fast losing the confidence of Parliament, as shown by the cross-party support."

He added: "While Nicola Sturgeon backed Kenny MacAskill during the vote, it is widely expected she will sack him in a matter of weeks. She is only delaying the inevitable."

Labour, Conservative, LibDem and Green MSPs supported the call for Mr MacAskill to quit.

However, 60 out of the SNP's 64 MSPs were present to back the justice secretary at decision time.

Independents John Finnie and Jean Urquhart, both former SNP MSPs, also voted against the motion while John Wilson, another who left the Nationalists to become an Independent, abstained.

In a debate before the vote, Mr Pearson said Mr MacAskill had "abandoned his responsibilities in relation to police reform".

He said: "He's tired, lacking ideas and gracelessly refuses to listen, leaving it to a private power struggle between officials to deliver."

He added: "His incompetent handling of the Megrahi affair, corroboration, stop and search, office and control-room closures have all been characterised by his view that everything is now someone else's responsibility.

"His absence in the armed police debate was, in my view, the final straw."

Margaret Mitchell, justice spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives, said: "The deployment of armed police to routine incidents has been a particular source of concern for the public.

"When the public's trust in Scotland's law and order enforcers is in danger of breaking down, the ultimate responsibility lies with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice."

Alison McInnes, justice spokeswoman for the LibDems, said Mr MacAskill "has long outstayed his welcome".

Mr MacAskill told MSPs: "Policing should not be used as a political football and Mr Pearson should stop traducing the police and the Scottish Police Authority, and should stop undermining the morale of officers and staff.

"He should stop attempting to score cheap political points at the expense of thousands of hard-working officers and staff who cannot answer back.

"We should applaud the continued strong performance of our police and recognise that Police Scotland, working with the SPA, is listening to concerns and acting on them, unlike Mr Pearson and his colleagues."