If Richard Leonard is elected he will be the first Englishman to lead the Scottish Labour party

The battle to become Labour’s next leader in Scotland has been marred by claims of dirty tricks after opponents of one of the frontrunners claimed it could be disastrous to pick a privately educated Englishman.

MSP Richard Leonard, an organiser for the GMB union for 20 years, is believed to be preparing to confirm his candidacy as the choice of the left after Kezia Dugdale unexpectedly quit last week.

He would be the first Englishman to lead the Scottish party but some Labour opponents say his broad Yorkshire accent and private schooling would play badly among Scottish voters as the party tries to regain ground lost to the SNP after a spate of poor elections.

The controversy follows personal attacks on Anas Sarwar, a wealthy