JEREMY Corbyn must accept some responsibility for Labour's decline in Scotland, Kezia Dugdale has suggested, as she made clear the UK Labour leader could not win enough support beyond traditional supporters to get the party back into power in 2020.

Describing the leadership contest as "febrile" and "ugly", the Scottish Labour leader told BBC Radio Four's Today programme that Labour in-fighting had created an "almighty, ugly mess" and it was time to focus on trying to get the Tories out of government.

Asked why people should listen to her given Labour came third behind the Tories in this year's Scottish parliamentary elections, Ms Dugdale said: "Because we came third in Scotland is exactly why people should listen to me...

"First and foremost, I know what it takes to run a campaign. I know what the demands of the job are, the skills that are required, the discipline that is required. That leads me to the conclusion that Owen is better placed than Jeremy.

"Reason number two. I know what happens when a party repeatedly refuses to listen to the message that the electorate is saying; when repeatedly it seems out of touch. That is the consequence of what has happened in Scotland, which has led Labour to come third in most recent Scottish parliamentary elections."

She said Mr Corbyn was inspiring to "already committed Labour supporters" but stressed there were not enough of them to win a general election and the party needed to reach out and speak to the whole country. Mr Smith, on the other hand, had a mixture of "radical policies and politics combined with a credible plan of getting back into government".

Ms Dugdale also upbraided the UK party leader, noting: "He was claiming success for Sadiq Khan's victory in the[London] mayoral election; he can't claim the credit for that and not accept any responsibility for what's happening in Scotland."

In May, Scottish Labour lost 13 seats and came third behind Ruth Davidson's Scottish Conservatives.

The timing of the Scottish Labour leader's announcement to support Mr Smith comes as ballot papers are issued today to an electorate of more than 600,000 and just days before the leadership's Scottish hustings on Thursday when Mr Corbyn will go head to head with his Welsh colleague in Glasgow.

The party has estimated there are 343,500 fully paid up members entitled to vote in the election together with 129,000 registered supporters who paid £25 to take part and 168,000 affiliated supporters, who are members of affiliated organisations such as trade unions.

Mr Smith, the former shadow work and pensions secretary, said he was incredibly proud to have Ms Dugdale's backing.

"Kezia and I want to see a strong Labour Party that can defeat the Tories in Westminster and take the fight to the SNP in Holyrood.

"But that will only be achieved if we can unite our party and demonstrate we have a radical, credible plan to rebuild communities right across the United Kingdom. I'm pleased therefore that Kezia has backed my vision for a £200 billion British New Deal, the strengthening of workers' rights and a Labour Party that puts tackling inequality at the heart of everything it does," added the MP for Pontypridd.

MsDugdale's endorsement follows that from Mr Khan, the London mayor, at the weekend and from Ed Miliband, the former party leader. The result of the contest will be announced on September 24