Shadow Health secretary Neil Findlay has become the second person to declare an intention to stand as the next leader of the Scottish Labour Party.

Mr Findlay has joined fellow Lothians MSP Sarah Boyack in the race to replace Johann Lamont, who resigned on Friday with a stinging attack on UK Labour colleagues who she accused of treating Scotland as a "branch office".

Former prime minister Gordon Brown and interim leader Anas Sarwar previously ruled themselves out of the running, while MP Jim Murphy is yet to declare either way.

Announcing his intention to stand, Mr Findlay MSP said: "I have been overwhelmed by the messages of support from people from within the Labour party and across the wider Labour movement all urging me to stand.

"It is no secret that I wanted Gordon Brown to run but since Gordon has ruled himself out I now believe we need to have a wide ranging debate about the way forward for the Labour party but more importantly the country.

"I want to bring the Labour party together to work for progressive change and create a fairer, more equal and prosperous Scotland. If elected Labour leader I will put the issue of social justice at heart of everything we do - this is the historic mission of the Scottish Labour party but it also has to be about what we deliver for the Scottish people in this post referendum period."

The two candidates support differing visions of Scotland's future and the role of the Labour Party within that.

Ms Boyack sat on the Scottish Labour Devolution Commission that was criticised by the left-wing Red Paper Collective, which counts Mr Findlay among its members.

The commission's findings form the basis of the party's submission to the Smith Commission, which is currently considering more powers for the Scottish Parliament following the No vote in last month's independence referendum.

The party's submission calls for Holyrood to be given increased tax-varying powers and responsibility for raising about 40% of its budget, as well as control of some elements of welfare policy, including housing benefit and attendance allowance.

But the Red Paper Collective, a group of trade unionists, academics and politicians, wants Labour to join all of the other political parties and advocate the full devolution of income tax.

The group says full income tax is necessary ''to allow the Scottish Parliament more flexibility in creating a progressive tax system, improving public services and increasing redistribution''.