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| Jim Murphy named Scottish Labour leader | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Scottish Labour today announced the election of Jim Murphy as its new leader. | Scottish Labour today announced the election of Jim Murphy as its new leader. |
| The former Scottish secretary beat Holyrood health spokesman Neil Finlay and former Scottish Executive minister Sarah Boyack to win the job. | The former Scottish secretary beat Holyrood health spokesman Neil Finlay and former Scottish Executive minister Sarah Boyack to win the job. |
| Kezia Dugdale was elected Scottish Labour Party deputy leader | Kezia Dugdale was elected Scottish Labour Party deputy leader |
| The leadership contest was sparked when Johann Lamont stood down suddenly, accusing colleagues in Westminster of treating Scotland like a "branch office". | The leadership contest was sparked when Johann Lamont stood down suddenly, accusing colleagues in Westminster of treating Scotland like a "branch office". |
| But with less than five months to go until the general election, and backing for the SNP on the rise, the successful candidate will have little time to try to halt Labour's declining support north of the border. | But with less than five months to go until the general election, and backing for the SNP on the rise, the successful candidate will have little time to try to halt Labour's declining support north of the border. |
| The party has not been in power in Scotland since 2007 and recent polls have suggested it is trailing the nationalists in voting intentions for both Holyrood and Westminster. | The party has not been in power in Scotland since 2007 and recent polls have suggested it is trailing the nationalists in voting intentions for both Holyrood and Westminster. |
| But with Labour winning 41 of the 59 Scottish constituencies in the 2010 Westminster election, Ed Miliband will hope the party can again return a large number of MPs from north of the border to help boost his chances of becoming the next prime minister. | But with Labour winning 41 of the 59 Scottish constituencies in the 2010 Westminster election, Ed Miliband will hope the party can again return a large number of MPs from north of the border to help boost his chances of becoming the next prime minister. |
| Mr Murphy - who played a high-profile role in the campaign to keep Scotland in the UK - was the bookmakers' favourite to win the contest, with Ladbrokes saying 90 per cent of the money it has taken has been for the East Renfrewshire MP. | Mr Murphy - who played a high-profile role in the campaign to keep Scotland in the UK - was the bookmakers' favourite to win the contest, with Ladbrokes saying 90 per cent of the money it has taken has been for the East Renfrewshire MP. |
| Under the electoral college system, a third of the votes will be decided by Scottish Labour parliamentarians. Another third goes to members of the party in Scotland and the final third go to those who are members of affiliated trade unions and societies. | Under the electoral college system, a third of the votes will be decided by Scottish Labour parliamentarians. Another third goes to members of the party in Scotland and the final third go to those who are members of affiliated trade unions and societies. |
| PA | PA |