Only 7 per cent of Scots said that Richard Leonard was leading Scottish Labour well

Scottish Labour is struggling to find candidates to fight a snap election with vacancies for more than half of the country’s seats.

There are no prospective parliamentary candidates for 33 seats in Scotland and party bosses are pressing local activists to put their names forward.

Labour is always expected to field candidates in the 59 Scottish constituencies represented at Westminster. The party has been forced to extend a deadline for applications.

Vacant seats include East Renfrewshire, which was once held by Jim Murphy as Scottish Labour leader, as well as both Aberdeen constituencies and two in Dundee.

In an email urging party members to consider putting their names forward Lorna Finlayson, the Scottish party’s interim general secretary, wrote: “We have extended the deadline for applications