SCOTLAND'S only Labour MP has said that unless the party "'wins back Scotland' there may never be another Labour prime minister in government.

Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South, made the remarks after being endorsed by two former Prime Minsters, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, this morning.

Mr Murray, who is competing against favourite Angela Rayner, as well as Dawn Butler, Richard Burgon and Rosena Allin-Khan, said a Scot should be put in a senior role within the party leadership to "show all the nations and regions of the UK that they matter."

He said: "I’m proud to have the endorsement of both of Labour’s living Prime Ministers – Tony Blair and Gordon Brown – and the wife of Labour’s greatest Prime Minister that never was.

"Without winning back Scotland, they could be the last Labour Prime Ministers."

Mr Murray said the "Corbyn experiment has not worked" and said the party needed "fundamental change" in order to regain ground in the polls.

He said: "We're using these deputy leaderships as a staging ground to try to try and get the Labour party back into government.

"That's where we need to be. The 12th of December was utterly devastating, the polls at the moment are absolutely dreadful, and unless we make some fundamental change, the Corbyn experiment has not worked. And that's not me saying that, that's the public that are telling us that, and unless we are then going to put forward a policy platform and the leadership team that people can see as being credible alternatives to both the SNP in Scotland and the Tories at UK level, then we're not going to recover."

He also reiterated previous remarks regarding Richard Leonard, Scottish Labour leader, being given a chance at to "wipe the slate clean", emphasising the need to have a clear position on a second independence referendum.

Mr Murray explained: "It's important now that Richard builds a team around him that can build that broad coalition of support, and it's also important that we get it right in two ways.

"One, on the constitutional arguments - no to a second independence referendum and no to independence, because there's no mandate for the former and principally against the latter so let's not facilitate the means if we disagree with the ends.

"Let's get that starting point in place and campaign heavily on that. Let's secondly make sure we're making the arguments about why independence will be bad for Scotland, and all those arguments are tenfold now that Brexit gives us the examples of borders and of turning away from your closest trading partners, and let's put together a policy platform that talks about the future.

"What does Scotland look like in ten, 20 or 30 years time. And the best thing we can do as a UK Labour Party to help the Scottish elections in 2021, is to show that the Labour Party can be a credible county government."

In a video endorsement, Tony Blair said the Edinburgh MP "gets it" which is why he was supporting him.

He said: "“Ian Murray understands that if Labour is to have any hope, it’s got to be able to win in every part and every corner of the United Kingdom.

“It’s got to have a bold vision and programme, but it’s got to be a programme realistic enough to win power.

“Only in that way can we bring about real change. Only in that way can we bring about a government for the future, and not return to being a protest movement of the past.

“Ian Murray gets it, and that’s why it’s important to support him.”

Gordon Brown added: "I’m supporting Ian for deputy leader as the candidate who will best take forward our party and our country. His strong voice for Scotland will be a strong voice for the whole of the UK.

“He understands the constitution and has continually proved he can win a marginal seat by organising and getting a broad coalition of voters to back him.”

The MP was also backed by former chancellor Alistair Darling, Baroness Elizabeth Smith - the widow of former leader John Smith aNd former deputy leader Roy Hattersley.

Voting got underway yesterday for the leader and deputy leader positions, and will end on April 2.