PRESSURE is mounting on Jim Murphy to declare his candidacy for the Scottish Labour leadership after a fierce backlash was unleashed against Johann Lamont following her attack on the party and its MPs.
The Shadow International Development Secretary is being backed by Westminster colleagues to put his name forward to succeed Ms Lamont after her resignation on Friday night.
She has branded her Westminster colleagues "dinosaurs" and accused party HQ of treating Scottish Labour "like a branch office".
With Gordon Brown another favourite to take over as leader, a close colleague of East Renfrewshire MP Mr Murphy said: "Jim has to do it. The party is in a hole and needs someone of his stature and skill to get us out of it."
Another stressed: "MSPs need to accept that Jim is going to be our next leader and that they should agree among themselves a candidate or two for who will be his deputy."
However, the possibility of an MP succeeding Ms Lamont could plunge the beleaguered party into another damaging row with some sections of Scottish Labour railing against a London-based leader who would be unable to take part in First Minister's Questions.
Malcolm Chisholm MSP warned: "If we have an MP as leader we will turn a crisis into a catastrophe."
He argued the party should first clarify the role of Scottish leader and then look to its Scottish parliamentary group for a person to fill it.
Jon Findlay, the co-organiser of Labour for Scotland, a group of activists who want the party to consider changing its name to the Independent Labour Party, said Ms Lamont's departure showed there was a "democratic deficit" in Labour.
He added the Scottish party had to set its own priorities "without Westminster interference".
He said: "The leader must come from the Scottish Parliament and it should be someone from a new generation."
But MSPs Kezia Dugdale and Jenny Marra, regarded as rising stars, are thought to have ruled themselves out.
Former Prime Minister Mr Brown indicated again yesterday that he has no desire to get back into frontline politics.
Yet as with Mr Murphy, there was no formal response over the weekend from the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP to calls for him to stand for the leadership. Many believe Mr Brown saved the Union during the last days of the referendum campaign with his bravura speeches.
Some senior figures, including it is believed Ed Miliband, feel such passion and drive could reinvigorate Scottish Labour in the face of the Nationalist threat and help the UK party win the 2015 General Election. Mr Miliband is due in Glasgow on Thursday for the party's annual gala dinner. It is not known if Mr Brown will attend.
Alistair Darling, the former Chancellor and leader of the Better Together campaign, ruled himself out.
Last night after a meeting of Scottish Labour's executive committee at its HQ in Glasgow, the timetable for the leadership election was announced. It begins today when would-be leaders can declare their candidacy. Nominations open on Friday, hustings begin on November 14 and the new leader will be announced on December 13.
It is thought Ms Lamont was infuriated by the departure of Ian Price as General Secretary of the Scottish party without her being told. She branded some colleagues at Westminster "dinosaurs" for not recognising Scotland wanted "home rule not London rule".
It was also suggested the Glasgow Pollok MSP believed her close friend Margaret Curran, the Shadow Scottish Secretary, had briefed against her. One ally of Ms Lamont said: "Johann is very hurt by Margaret's behaviour. She believes Margaret only cares about holding on to her job in Ed's Shadow Cabinet."
A colleague of the Glasgow East MP said: "Anyone who knows Margaret knows if she has a problem, she'll tell you to your face. She doesn't go behind people's backs. She's personally hurt by these claims. We were asking ourselves: how could Johann do this? The manner in which she left was just not how we do things in the Labour family."
One senior source was outraged by Ms Lamont's "undignified" departure, saying: "She has shafted people. She has told her supporters 'f*** you'. It's totally unacceptable. If she is trying to turn Labour seats into Nat seats, she is doing a good job."
First Minister Alex Salmond yesterday asked Mr Miliband for answers. He said: "Labour's meltdown in Scotland has been created by Labour in London." Mr Miliband's office declined to comment.
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