A Labour candidate for Holyrood has exposed divisions in her party by saying she and other left-wingers are “ambivalent” towards Scottish leader Kezia Dugdale.

Lesley Brennan urged Dugdale to develop as an “authentic leader” and “learn” from UK leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Labour has this weekend been shortlisting candidates who will compete for places on the regional lists for the Holyrood poll.

Brennan, a Dundee councillor, has been shortlisted in the North East and may pose a threat to the re-election chances of sitting MSP Jenny Marra.

However, although Brennan is standing for Holyrood, she was more complimentary about Corbyn than Dugdale in a recent article for the Scottish Left Review

She wrote: “Jeremy is an authentic leader, meaning that he is self-aware, genuine, confident, self-assured and is highly committed to his values.”

On Dugdale, she wrote: “Kezia needs to develop as an authentic leader and learn from Jeremy.”

Brennan also revealed that the party members who voted for Corbyn north of the border were less interested in the campaign that saw Dugdale succeed Jim Murphy.

“Many Scottish members, who were very active in Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership campaign, took very little interest in the last Scottish one even though we had been actively involved in previous one supporting Neil Findlay.

“I do feel members – me included – ought to overcome our own ambivalent attachment to Kezia.”

However, a senior party source hit back at the councillor: “Kezia Dugdale has got an even bigger mandate than Jeremy Corbyn. Lesley Brennan should overcome her ambivalent attachment to reality.”

In her article, Brennan also urged Dugdale to engage with Momentum, a grassroots group set up to promote the Corbyn agenda outside the party.

“With people feeling discontent with politics and looking for change, this has had some in Scotland become obsessed with where the powers lie. I believe Kezia can overcome this by tapping into Momentum, which consists of trade unionists, campaigners and activists, to strengthen our Party and the labour movement.”

However, senior party figures are deeply suspicious of Momentum, which they view as a coalition of unelectable anti-capitalists.

Tom Watson, the deputy leader of the UK party, described Momentum as a “bit of a rabble”.

Meanwhile, Holyrood researchers have found that Scottish Labour’s flagship pledge to raise the top rate of tax to 50p could generate less than a third of the revenue it hopes for to fund education.

Scottish Parliament figures reveal the party's plans to pay for a new £110m education fund could be out by £76 million.

Labour says it can raise up to £108 million from the new Scottish income tax on top earners, but "behavioural change" is expected to wipe out over two-thirds of this, leaving just £34 million, the Scottish Parliament Information Centre said.

An SNP spokesperson said: “While the SNP is focussed on supporting jobs, the economy our schools and health service, Labour continue to obsess over their internal party structures and leadership power struggles. Most people are fed up hearing about Labour’s narrow internal divisions when there are more important issues, like welfare cuts, the EU migrant crisis or holding the Tories to account.”

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: "Kez Dugdale was very clear when she was elected leader that she wanted to give members more of a say in how the party is run and welcome people from across the political spectrum. Through the changes Kez has made, including opening up party conference, that's exactly what is happening."