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Murphy attacks union boss as he quits as Scottish Labour leader

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy launched a broadside attack on Unite boss Len McCluskey as he has said he will quit, despite surviving a vote of no confidence.

It comes after a series of calls for him to resign following the party's near wipeout in Scotland at the general election.

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Murphy: Labour leaders 'should not be picked by union boss'

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."

One of the things about stepping down is that you can say things in public that so many people in the Labour party only say in private. So whether it's in Scotland and the contest to come across the UK. We cannot have our leaders selected - or de-selected - by the grudges and grievances of one prominent man.

The leader of the Scottish Labour party doesn't serve at the grace of Len McCluskey. And the next leader of the UK Labour party should not be picked by Len McCluskey.

– Jim Murphy

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