Candidates for the Scottish Labour leadership have made a plea for party unity regardless of the outcome of the contest.

Lothian MSPs Sarah Boyack and Neil Findlay and East Renfrewshire MP Jim Murphy are vying for the role vacated by Johann Lamont, who resigned last month accusing Westminster colleagues of treating the Scottish party like a "branch office".

A series of hustings have been taking place across Scotland to allow party members to quiz the three candidates.

Speaking to an audience at Glasgow's City Halls, Mr Murphy said: "Whoever wins this contest should have all of our support.

"We've not had enough of a story to tell about Scotland or the Scottish Labour Party in recent years, but our disagreements have been an open book.

"Everybody knows everything about everything to do with us. I've no idea about the disagreements of the SNP.

"So whether it's myself, Neil or Sarah who wins this contest, each and every one of us should support whoever it is 100%, each and every day."

The Labour Party in Scotland must regain "a sense of optimism" and show that it "stood for something", Mr Murphy said.

He told the audience: "Most people in Scotland know what we're against. So few people in this country have got any real sense of what we're for.

"We were against the SNP, we were against independence, we were against almost everything. Not just on the September 18 but for the past few years we've been the No party."

He added: "We've allowed the SNP to be the party of optimism and sunshine, and we've given the impression of being the party that's looking forward to a rainy day.

"I want to be a Labour leader and a First Minister who can bring people together, whether they are poor or they're prosperous."

Ms Boyack said the party and its members must become as "single-minded" as the SNP.

She said: "When Labour works together we are the most formidable force in Scottish politics. We need to trust each other, we need to treat each other with respect.

"When we agree on the way forward, when we agree on the new leader, that leader needs the authority.

"We've gone through this process and we need to all move forward together."

Ms Boyack said the SNP had managed to "tap into the mood" of the people, pointing to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's appearance before more than 10,000 people at Glasgow's Hydro arena on Saturday.

She said: "We need to make sure that we're on the front foot again. I want to bring all wings of the Labour movement together.

"If we are united, if we all pull together and if we focus on that prize of winning back power, we can transform people's lives."

Setting out his pitch for the leadership, Mr Findlay said: "We've got to get back to representing who I believe we are, we've always represented, and that's working people."

He added: "I believe that the Scottish people want us to be the Labour Party again. The clue is in the title - the party that represents working people.

"I think if we are true to our values then we can get those people back who voted Yes and we can keep our supporters who stuck with us all the way through.

"We need to put health and wealth inequality, dealing with that, at the heart of everything we do."

He added: "I think the prospects for working people of another David Cameron government are just too frightening a prospect to think about.

"I will do everything in my power if elected to ensure that that won't happen."

The audience also heard from deputy leadership candidates Katy Clark MP and Kezia Dugdale MSP.

The ballot closes on December 10, with the new leader and deputy leader to be announced on December 13.