Kezia Dugdale says she wants to be Scottish Labour leader

She us currently deputy leader

Scottish Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale has announced that she will run to lead her party.

The Lothian region Scottish Parliament representative is the first person to announce her intention to stand and replace Jim Murphy.

Mr Murphy, who became leader late last year, announced his intention to stand down after the party lost nearly all but one of its Westminster seats in Scotland at the UK general election.

In a statement Ms Dugdale said she would formally launch her campaign when the timetable was announced by the party’s executive and Mr Murphy had actually left his post.

“I am standing to be Scottish Labour Leader and I intend to transform my party for the good of my country,” she said.

“This is a moment when Scottish Labour must and will change. It’s time for a new generation with a vision for the future of Scotland.

“Labour lost badly in the General Election. Nothing we can say or do will disguise that fact. The job of our next leader isn’t to explain away that loss or find excuses – it’s to understand why people were so reluctant to vote for us and find a way of regaining the trust of the people of Scotland.”

She added that the party had a “mountain to climb” and hinted that education would play a key role in her vision for Scottish Labour.

Ms Dugdale has been deputy leader of Scottish Labour since December.