Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran has declared her support for Labour leadership candidate Jim Murphy.

Ms Curran gave her endorsement in an email to party members in which she said Mr Murphy was the candidate "who can help lead Scottish Labour to victory".

The East Renfrewshire MP faces competition from Lothian MSPs Neil Findlay and Sarah Boyack for the role vacated by Johann Lamont in the wake of the referendum on Scottish independence. The new leader will be announced on Saturday.

Ms Curran, MP for Glasgow East, said her decision had been influenced by her experience in winning back the seat for Labour from the SNP in 2010.

She said: "We won Glasgow East with drive, determination and by reaching out to the people who thought that Labour had left them behind.

"They're the same qualities we need to put Scottish Labour back in the lead and that's what I've seen from Jim during this campaign.

"We need someone with ideas for how we can take Scotland forward and that's exactly what he's been talking about for the past five weeks.

"From his pledges to put women at the heart of his leadership to his plans to overhaul our education system, his call for a 50p tax to support the poorest and his radical plan to campaign for a wage rise for up to half a million Scots, Jim has been first with the ideas about how we take Scotland forward."

Mr Murphy said: "I am delighted to have Margaret Curran's support for Scottish Labour leader.

"Having served in both the Scottish and UK parliaments, and as a Scottish Government minister, she knows what Scottish Labour needs to succeed."