FORMER Home Secretary Alan Johnson has endorsed Anas Sarwar to lead Scottish Labour, urging “trade unionists across Scotland to vote for him”.

The appeal came after the UK’s most powerful union leader, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, backed Mr Sarwar’s left-wing rival, Richard Leonard.

Mr Johnson, a former general secretary of the Union of Communication Workers and leader of Labour’s Remain campaign last year, said Mr Sarwar would “fight a hard Tory Brexit”.

He said the centrist Glasgow MSP also had “the ideas and the vision to lead Labour into government in Scotland”.

Mr Johnson went on: “He will fight for jobs and workers' rights by supporting UK membership of the EU single market and customs union.

"That's vitally important because hundreds of thousands of jobs across the UK depend on single market membership.

"Trade unionists across the country know the importance of fighting a hard Tory Brexit and Anas will not back away from that fight.”

Mr Sarwar said: "Our party owes a huge debt of gratitude to Alan for standing up for workers and leading our positive campaign to remain in the EU last year.

“A hard Tory Brexit will put workers on the path towards another lost decade, with 300,000 jobs in Scotland linked to our membership of the European single market.

"No-one can credibly say they want to protect jobs and not support membership of the single market and the customs union.

"I'm proud to be standing in this contest as the only candidate who has never, and will never, leave workers behind by voting against the Labour Party and with the Tories on Brexit."

Mr Leonard last night held a rally for supporters in Stirling, focusing on the importance of the coming weeks and his plans for a wealth tax.

The result is due to be declared on November 18.