SCOTTISH Labour leadership underdog Ken Macintosh has described himself as the "clear anti-establishment candidate" in the race to succeed Jim Murphy.
The long-serving MSP and 53-year-old father-of-six said that only he would give his party a fresh start, offering a move away from machine politics and negative campaigning.
The Eastwood MSP promised that if he becomes leader later in the summer, Scottish Labour would become "a positive, hopeful party which is relentlessly pro-devolution and anti-austerity."
He added: "It's now clearer than ever that I am the anti-establishment candidate offering the real change Labour needs. I am standing on a platform which offers practical change. By electing me as leader, Scottish Labour can truly start afresh, we can have a total break from the past; quite simply, I am not offering continuity, I am offering a new approach."
Meanwhile Kezia Dugdale, the former deputy leader who is widely seen as the strong favourite in the contest, said that Scottish Labour must look beyond its core vote if it is ever to win another election.
The 33-year-old said: "If the history of our party tells us anything it's that we win elections by reaching out beyond our natural supporters. We need a big tent plan, not a core vote strategy, to win again in Scotland.
"Too often in the recent past it has looked like we are only on the side of one group of people - the most vulnerable in society. Labour will always stand up for the weak and voiceless, but we also need to represent the vast majority who aren't struggling but just want to do better for themselves.
"The small business owner needs to know that we want to help them be successful. The young couple trying to get on the housing ladder should hear loud and clear that we support people owning their own home. The parents who want better for their kids must feel confident that we are on their side."
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