KEN Macintosh has launched his second bid to be the Scottish Labour leader.

The Eastwood MSP is up against Deputy Leader Kezia Dugdale to replace Jim Murphy.

Mr Macintosh who was defeated by Johann Lamont in 2011 said the party needs to stand on promoting its policies and not as opposing the SNP or Tories

The contender said he wants the current voting system of a three way Electoral College of unions Parliamentarians and members to one member one vote.

But it is how the party defines itself he want to see change most of all.

He said: "The Scottish Labour Party is a great movement; we represent a broad church of ideas, a vehicle for common good and a champion of progressive change and equality for all, but we have lost the trust and the faith of the people of Scotland.

"Our fightback will not be successful unless we stop defining ourselves and our party by our opponents. We need to take a fundamentally different approach to our politics.

"I do not want to ask people to vote Labour to block the Tories in London or to stop the SNP in Edinburgh; I want them to want to vote Labour because we have the ideas, the vision and the values to deliver a better future for Scotland."

Meanwhile former leader Johann Lamont said she was backing Ms Dugdale to lead the party.

Ms Lamont said: "She is bright, talented, compassionate. She is brave. She is wise enough to have taken time to decide whether she wants the job. As our education spokesperson she revealed a creativity, harnessed to a focus on what worked, not just what sounded good. She is a campaigner, recognising the abilities of those who understand the problems facing too many in our communities and have already developed answers.

"She is all of these things but critically she is part of the post referendum generation, shaped by that debate but not scarred by the arguments of the pre Scottish Parliament generation - hers is the generation charged with healing divisions and responding to a changed Scotland."