Michael Marra and Joe Fagan to contest Scottish Labour leadership

Fagan said the leadership campaign was about “more than understanding what went wrong” for the party.

“It is about what Labour does next,” he said.

“It is about respecting work, backing our communities and giving working people real power over the future, not asking them simply to live with decisions made elsewhere.”

Marra said he was “humbled” to be on the ballot and looked forward to a “good spirited and comradely contest”.

He added: “The next leader of Scottish Labour has a huge task: to unite our party, rediscover our soul and reconnect with Scotland.

“I am the candidate who can do that.”

The North East Scotland MSP offered his commiserations to Lennon, who he described as “one of the most formidable and effective campaigners the Labour movement has”.