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| Scottish Labour 'bullying' Ken Macintosh supporters | Scottish Labour 'bullying' Ken Macintosh supporters |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scottish Labour MSP Ken Macintosh has told BBC Scotland the "party machine" is bullying his supporters in an attempt to avoid a leadership contest. | Scottish Labour MSP Ken Macintosh has told BBC Scotland the "party machine" is bullying his supporters in an attempt to avoid a leadership contest. |
| Mr Macintosh and party deputy leader Kezia Dugdale have confirmed that they are standing for leadership of the party when Jim Murphy quits next month. | Mr Macintosh and party deputy leader Kezia Dugdale have confirmed that they are standing for leadership of the party when Jim Murphy quits next month. |
| The Eastwood MSP said his supporters were being "bullied and intimidated" into withdrawing their backing. | The Eastwood MSP said his supporters were being "bullied and intimidated" into withdrawing their backing. |
| The Scottish Labour Party is yet to comment on his accusations. | The Scottish Labour Party is yet to comment on his accusations. |
| Mr Murphy announced that he would resign next month despite narrowly surviving a vote of no confidence last week. | Mr Murphy announced that he would resign next month despite narrowly surviving a vote of no confidence last week. |
| His departure leaves the party looking for its sixth leader in eight years. | His departure leaves the party looking for its sixth leader in eight years. |
| The former East Renfrewshire MP had only been the Scottish party leader since December but he announced he would quit a week after Labour's crushing general election defeat at the hands of the SNP. | The former East Renfrewshire MP had only been the Scottish party leader since December but he announced he would quit a week after Labour's crushing general election defeat at the hands of the SNP. |
| 'Incredible pressure' | |
| Ms Dugdale, who is widely regarded as the "obvious person" to take on the job, confirmed her leadership bid on Friday. | Ms Dugdale, who is widely regarded as the "obvious person" to take on the job, confirmed her leadership bid on Friday. |
| Mr Macintosh, the party's social justice spokesman, ran for party against Johann Lamont almost four years ago and is likely to need nominations from six or seven MSPs to be a candidate in this leadership contest. | |
| But he claims his backers are coming under "incredible pressure to withdraw their support". | |
| "I want to have a contest but I've found the whole weight of the party machine yet again turning against me trying to close down a contest," he told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme. | |
| "All the people that have been trying to support me, the party machine has turned on them, and they are being put under incredible pressure to withdraw their support. They are being bullied and being intimidated and pressurised not to support me so we don't have a contest. | |
| "I wouldn't even have put my head above the parapet if I didn't know I had that support." | |
| Scottish Labour frontbenchers Jackie Baillie and Sarah Boyack are understood to have ruled themselves out of the leadership contest. | |
| Health spokeswoman Jenny Marra is said to be "very unlikely" to stand. | |
| Neil Findlay, who stood against Mr Murphy when he won the leadership just six months ago, has also said he would not stand this time. |