Kezia Dugdale has welcomed an independent inquiry into alleged anti-Semitism in Labour's ranks as she described the row that has engulfed the party as "deeply regrettable" in the run up to the Holyrood election.
The Scottish Labour leader said the review into racism announced by UK leader Jeremy Corbyn was the "right step" following the suspension of former mayor of London Ken Livingstone and Bradford West MP Naz Shah amid allegations of anti-Semitism.
Speaking on the campaign trail in Edinburgh, Ms Dugdale said she was determined that the row would not affect her final few days of campaigning before the Scottish Parliament election on May 5.
Commenting on the inquiry, she said: "It's certainly the right step. The Labour Party exists to stand against all forms of discrimination, not least racial discrimination.
"We've got a proud record of doing that so the events of this past week are very much against the grain of that proud history of our party. So strong action needs to be taken and Jeremy Corbyn is leading the way.
"It's quite clearly at the front of the TV news bulletins and on the front pages of the newspapers and that's deeply regrettable when this should be the final week of a campaign focused on how we're going to stop the cuts, invest in education and use the new powers of the Scottish Parliament.
"Of course I don't want it to have an impact on this election, what I'm saying to people very clearly is that the Scottish Parliament election is about how we govern ourselves here in Scotland, using the new tax powers, the new welfare powers that we have."
Polls have suggested that Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives are neck and neck for second place in the election, but Ms Dugdale insisted her party was going into the final week "really upbeat, really positive".
She said: "I'm in a really good, buoyant mood. We've got a message that our activists and our party believes in, a plan to stop the cuts and end austerity.
"Wherever I travel in Scotland there's a great deal of support for that and if people want an end to the cuts, an end to austerity they have to vote Labour.
"So I'm not interested in the polls. It's not for the pollsters to decide elections its the people. I'm putting my faith and trust in them."
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