THE election of Jim Murphy as the new Scottish Labour leader will galvanise support for the SNP among the country's minority voters, Asian political activists have predicted.

Muhammad Shoaib, organiser of the Scots Asians for Independence (SAFI) movement and a former Labour councillor who is now putting himself forward as a prospective SNP candidate for Westminster, said Murphy's appointment would be counterproductive to Scottish Labour's bid to reconnect with its traditional voters.

Scots Asians have traditionally backed the Labour Party, but in the run-up to this year's referendum there was burgeoning support for independence - one poll put the ratio of support for Yes among Scotland's ethnic minorities as two to one - which is now translating into more support for the SNP.

Pakistan-born Shoaib, who has lived and worked in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow for 29 years, said: "We [SAFI] have had a lot of enquiries from individuals who want to join the group. These are not just people from an Asian background, but an African background, and they are also pretty keen to join the cause. People want to move on [from the referendum], and they wanted to be more involved in Scottish politics through the Scottish National Party.

"This is a relatively new phenomena because the majority of people from ethnic minorities voted in the past for the Labour Party.

"But that has gone and the Labour Party is seen to have shifted toward right-wing politics. So this issue of social justice that was their fundamental ethos has gone out of the window. Asian voters see the SNP as representing their aspirations and their thinking in the long term.

"Jim Murphy - his past is basically supporting an illegal war in Iraq. He never came out and condemned the Gaza bombings. From a Muslim perspective, those were unforgiveable.

"Out of a 65,000 ethnic minority population in Scotland, 50,000 are Pakistani Muslim and for them, Jim Murphy is a no go area. He is a supporter of Labour Friends of Israel, and many Muslims feel the Palestinians have been unjustly punished by the Israelis and much of the international community has remained largely silent and he is among that group."

Shoaib, who is also secretary general of the Pakistan Welfare Trust, which has around 2500 members in Glasgow, will go head-to-head against Anas Sarwar for the Glasgow Central seat if he is selected as the SNP's candidate.

Once the selection process is over, Shoaib has set his sights on expanding the membership of SAFI from a few hundred to 1000 and enlarging it to encompass other minority groups, such members of the Scots African community.

Sameer Haider, 21, from Glasgow, is a former Labour member but in the new year intends to join the SNP. He voted Yes in the referendum and is typical of young Asians in his cynicism towards Murphy.

Citing the Iraq war, support for Israel and tuition fees, he said: "He will no doubt try to be more left wing but I just can't see him offering anything to those who have left the party or voted Yes."

Haider added: "Our parents generally tended to vote Labour because their candidate was 'one of us' - a Pakistani Muslim Asian. However, from my experience, my generation don't buy into that as much. It is irrelevant for them that someone who wishes to represent them at Westminster or Holyrood just happens to come from the same city or village as their parents 'back home' [Pakistan or India].

"They instead want to know whether or not they backed illegal wars? What stance have they taken on the Bedroom Tax and Trident? What have they done for young people and the elderly in their local area? The use of social networking has also led to greater scrutiny on politicians. They are exposed like never before."

Nighet Nasim Riaz, a young female Asian academic, has recently announced that she is putting her name forward as a potential SNP candidate for Westminster. During the referendum she was part of SAFI and is particularly keen on ensuring youngsters, especially those from an ethnic minority background, remain engaged with the political process.

She said: "We recognise the great potential of our new members. They campaigned side by side with those who are more experienced and we don't want to lose them - especially given that the General Election and Scottish Parliament elections are coming up."

Scottish Labour shadow minister for international development Anas Sarwar MP said: "The election in May is not a protest vote, it's not about the perceived rights and wrongs of the past but a vote on who we want to govern the country. And it is a straight choice between a Labour or Tory Government."