The new Labour pressure group set up to radicalise the party in Scotland has declared its opposition to several frontrunning MPs becoming leader.

Labour For Scotland said the "defining issue" in the battle for the leadership, and indeed the soul and identity of the Scottish party, must come down to a break from "Westminster interference".

The group, set up earlier this month and wanting a more radical approach to devolution and more autonomy to develop policies tailored to Scotland, said the selection of a new leader must involve Labour's grassroots.

It called also for an MSP to be given the job, adding they must also be from a new generation.

The move is clear statement of opposition to the speculation MP Jim Murphy is the frontrunner to become leader, as well as other Westminster 'big beasts' Douglas Alexander and Gordon Brown and Glasgow South MP Anas Sarwar.

Labour will today meet to decide the process and timetable for selecting a new leader, with Mr Sarwar to publicly spell out the next steps.

Labour for Scotland co-organiser Glasgow councillor Jon Findlay said: "Johann Lamont's resignation has revealed a democratic deficit in the Labour Party. Her mandate to lead came from the members who elected her and she deserved respect and support.

"The defining issue of the leadership contest will now be the freedom of Scottish Labour to set its own policies and priorities, without Westminster interference.

"This is different from any previous leadership election because we are not just choosing a new leader, we also have to decide what the job really means. This debate must involve everyone in the party from the grassroots upwards.

"The leader must come from the Scottish Parliament and it should be someone from a new generation."

Around 80 party activists attended the inaugural meeting of Labour for Scotland at Strathclyde University just over a week ago, including ex-MSPs Frank McAveety and Pauline McNeill, Unison Scottish organiser Dave Watson and STUC deputy secretary Dave Moxham.

Formed in the aftermath of the referendum, the group aims to stimulate debate within the party's grass roots, and wants a more radical approach to devolution and more autonomy to develop policies tailored to Scotland.

Among the policy areas discussed last week were greater public ownership of services and assets, local taxation, childcare and a living wage.

It has been claim Labour for Scotland has echoes of the 1980s group Scottish Labour Action, which fought for devolution and had Jack McConnell and Wendy Alexander among its founder members.