A string of Labour heavyweights and union leaders have signed an open letter backing Richard Leonard for Scottish Labour Leader.
The MSP is the clear favourite to win the contest after Kezia Dugdale’s shock resignation earlier this years.
Anas Sarwar’s team insist their candidate is ahead among Labour members, claiming the party’s Holyrood health spokesman’s policy to support the single market is a dividing line, but Ladbrokes has Leonard as odds on to win at 1/6 while Sarwar lags behind at 7/2.
Sarwar’s campaign faltered at an early stage after it emerged his family firm’s cash and carry business did not recognise unions or pay the living wage.
He has, however, a wide range of support amongst MPs, counting Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray - the sole survivor of the 2015 SNP landslide - and newly-elected MP Martin Whitfield as backers.
Many MSPs, including the popular Jackie Baillie and Brexit spokesman Lewis MacDonald, also back Sarwar, alongside former Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling.
Leonard, meanwhile, has sought to build on a Labour revival north of the border by allying himself closely with Jeremy Corbyn, welcoming support from a slew of influential union leaders.
They have put their names to an open letter, which reads: “Richard Leonard is the best candidate for Scottish Labour leader: he stands for transforming a society and economy that currently produces so much poverty and inequality, not simply managing the present system in a better way.”
A spokesman for the Anas Sarwar campaign said: “More MSPs, MEPs and councillors from across Scotland are backing our campaign, and we have the support of thousands of ordinary members and trade unionists, with more than 8,000 vote pledges already.
“We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received, which is growing every day as members realise that only one candidate supports membership of the EU single market, has a detailed income tax plan, and wants to lift more children out of poverty.”
The results of the vote will be announced on November 18.
The full list of signatories:
Danielle Rowley MP
Monica Lennon MSP
Claudia Beamish MSP
Neil Findlay MSP
Rhoda Grant MSP
Hugh Gaffney MP
Ged Killen MP
Elaine Smith MSP
Paul Sweeney MP
Cathy Jamieson, former MP – deputy leader of Scottish Labour 2000-2008
Pat Rafferty, Unite the Union, Scottish Secretary
Gary Smith, GMB Scotland Secretary
Gordon McKay, UNISON Vice-President, Chair UNISON Labour Link Scotland
Dave Watson, UNISON, Scottish Organiser
Stewart Forrest, USDAW, Divisional Officer, Scotland
Karen Whitefield, USDAW, Training Officer, Scotland & former MSP
Liz Warren-Corney, TSSA, Scotland Organiser
Stevie Lawrence, TSSA, Executive Committee Member - Scotland
Kevin Lindsay, ASLEF Scotland Organiser
Lynn Henderson, trade unionist
Chris McLaughlin, Editor, Tribune
Mick Whelan, ASLEF General Secretary
Len McCuskey, Unite the Union General Secretary
Tim Roache, GMB General Secretary
Manuel Cortes, TSSA General Secretary
John Hannett, USDAW General Secretary
Mark Serwotka, trade unionist
Dave Ward, CWU General Secretary
Ronnie Draper, BFAWU General Secretary
Ian Hodson, BFAWU President
Councillor Joe Cullinane
Councillor Brian Gordon
Councillor Robert Bissett
Councillor Gerry Convery
Councillor Allyson Black
Councillor Margaret Brisley
Councillor Robert Burrows
Councillor Bill Butler
Councillor Angela Campbell
Councillor Harry Cartmill
Councillor Gail Casey
Councillor Dave Clark
Councillor Joan Coombes
Councillor Georgia Cruickshank
Councillor Eddie Devine
Councillor Margaret Richardson
Councillor Jim Reddin
Councillor Jim Sheridan
Councillor Bill Shields
Councillor Kenneth Stevenson
Councillor Derek Stewart
Grahame Morris MP, Easington
Ian Mearns MP, Gateshead
Rhea Wolfson, Labour Party NEC Member
Claudia Webbe, Labour Party NEC Member
David Watt, Socialist Educational Association Scotland
Chris Barbour, Scottish Young Labour Secretary
Leah Franchetti, Glasgow Labour Party member
Michael Connarty, former MP
Laura Pidcock MP, North West Durham
Dan Carden MP, Liverpool Walton
Owen Jones, author and campaigner
Gavin Strang, Former MP and minister
Fran Boait, Director of Positive Money
Matt Zarb-Cousin, former spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn
Councillor Kenneth Earle
Councillor Angela Feeney
Councillor Robert Foster
Councillor Danny Gibson
Councillor Judy Hamilton
Councillor Jim Harte
Councillor Karen Kennedy
Councillor Matt Kerr
Councillor Danny Lennie
Councillor Mary Lockhart
Councillor Martin McCulloch
Councillor Andrew McGuire
Councillor Dom McGuire
Councillor George McIrvine
Nancy Platts, former trade union adviser to Jeremy Corbyn
Abi Wilkinson, Journalist
Billy Hayes, Labour Party CAC member
Fahd Ali Asif, Dundee new Scottish Labour Party Member
Cara Hilton, Former MSP, SEC member
Ann Henderson, SEC member
Siobhan McCready, SEC member
Lesley Brennan, SEC member and Vice Chair of CfS
Marlyn Glen, Former MSP
Prof. Christine Cooper, Strathclyde University, Professor of Accounting and Finance
Sam Tarry, President, CLASS
Stephen Wright, Musicians Union member
Maya Goodfellow, Writer
Hugh Henry, Former MSP
Councillor Davie McLachlan
Councillor AlexanderMcVey
Councillor Kathleen Martin
Councillor George Matchett
Councillor John Mooney
Councillor Jim Montgomerie
Councillor Gordon Munro
Councillor Alan Nimmo
Councillor Lawrence O’Neill
Councillor Pat O’Rourke
Councillor Ross Paterson
Councillor Clare Quigley
Dr Eric Shaw, University of Stirling, Honorary Research Fellow
Helen McFarlane, Scottish Labour Candidate 2017
Nathaniel Blondel, Chair, Glasgow Univerity Labour Club
Kate Shaw Nelson, Chair of Scottish Labour Students and Glasgow Kelvin CLP
Louis King, Co-Chair, Scottish Labour Young Socialists
Harry Lesley-Smith, Author and activist for the welfare state
Alan Cummings, Secretary, Durham miners
Councillor Elaine Murray, Former MSP
Seema Chandwani, Labour CAC member
Mark Millar, Write