Murphy attacks union boss as he quits as Scottish Labour leader

Jim Murphy launched a broadside attack on Unite boss Len McCluskey as he announced he will resign as leader of the Scottish Labour party.

Mr Murphy said that while trade unionists were "a source of enormous strength and moral purpose" to Labour, the party should not be beholden "to one man."

Acting Leader of the Labour Party, Harriet Harman, paid tribute to Jim Murphy after he stood down as leader of the Scottish Labour party, saying he "has been a hugely important figure."

SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has tweeted her support of Jim Murphy after he said he will quit as leader of the Scottish Labour party.

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy blasted union boss Len McCluskey as he confirmed he will resign in Glasgow.

Jim Murphy has said he will resign as leader of the Scottish Labour party, shortly after winning a vote to stay.

Scottish Labour's Jim Murphy has survived a vote of no confidence and will remain leader.

The Communication Workers Union was the latest body to call for Mr Murphy to go yesterday. Members of the Unison trade union who are affiliated to Labour has said that it is "unprecedented for a party leader not to stand down after such a defeat".

While they stopped short of calling for him to resign, they said if there was a wider call for a new leader in the party, they would not oppose it. Leaders of the trade union Usdaw offered their support to Mr Murphy, saying a second leadership contest in a year in the party in Scotland would be "navel-gazing".

Jim Murphy faces a potential vote of no confidence as the future of Scottish Labour leader will be the subject of debate at a meeting of the party's executive today. It comes after a series of calls for him to resign following the party's near wipeout in Scotland at the general election.

Party members are said to be split on Mr Murphy's future, with senior MPs and MSPs publicly defending the recently-ousted East Renfrewshire MP, insisting Labour's problems pre-date his appointment as leader and were too deeply entrenched to turn around in a few months. But trade union members, many of whom backed left-wing candidate Neil Findlay in the leadership contest last year, have urged Mr Murphy to go.