SIR Keir Starmer has urged Scottish Labour to "pull together" as he gave his backing to beleaguered leader Richard Leonard.

Sir Keir said he is determined to "unite and unify" Labour and restore trust in the party both in Scotland and across the wider UK. 

However, asked directly, the UK Labour leader failed to say Mr Leonard is the best person for the job. 

Mr Leonard's leadership of Scottish Labour has faced sustained criticism in recent weeks, with four of his own MSPs publicly calling on him to resign. 

Senior party figures including deputy leader Jackie Baillie and shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray are also understood to have signalled support for a motion of no confidence in him, which was later withdrawn.

During his first visit to Scotland since taking charge of the UK party, Sir Keir told journalists: "I've got an excellent working relationship with Richard Leonard. 

"I'm here to talk to him about our priorities going into the election next year and he and I have a shared task in restoring trust in the Labour Party, focusing on the issues that I think matter most, which is rebuilding the economy here in Scotland and public services, and of course working together to defeat the virus."

He said he ran his leadership campaign arguing for the Labour Party to unite and unify, adding: "And that's among the reasons I'm here in Scotland today, and that's why I'm talking to colleagues in Scottish Labour today. 

"Because what I want to see here in Scotland, is [for] our party to pull together and to focus on the job in hand, which is what we need to do between now and next May, in relation to the [Scottish] election.

"That's why I'm here having the discussions I am today, and that's what I want to see."

Asked if he agreed with Mr Leonard that there is no one better placed to lead Scottish Labour, Sir Keir said: "Richard Leonard won the leadership of Scottish Labour and as the leader in Scotland, and me as the leader of the Labour Party, we've been working very closely together ever since I got elected as leader in April of this year.

"So what I'm looking forward to is continuing that work with Richard, and this afternoon we'll be discussing what we need to do between now and next May in relation to the elections in May. 

"I've got a very good working relationship with Richard. I support Richard and I'll be talking to him about what we need to do in the coming weeks and months to restore trust in the Labour Party here in Scotland and across the UK."

Asked if Mr Leonard has his confidence, he said: “Yes, I support Richard Leonard and that’s why we’ll be working together on what we need to do together over the coming weeks and months into the May elections of next year."

Sir Keir said last year's general election was "devastating" for Labour.

He said the party has a "mountain to climb whichever way you look at it", but stressed he is determined to restore trust in Labour "as a force for good and a force for change".

Scottish Labour is currently on 14 per cent in the polls, which indicates it could lose six of the 24 Holyrood seats it won in 2016. 

Elsewhere, Sir Keir praised Mr Murray, the MP for Edinburgh South.

It recently emerged Mr Murray considered quitting Labour and joining The Independent Group of MPs, later Change UK, ahead of the elections last year. 

Sir Keir said: “Ian Murray is a first class member of my shadow cabinet, widely respected and doing a really good job.”