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Richard Leonard has called on the Labour leadership candidates to ensure decisions on Scotland’s constitutional future are made north of the border.

The Scottish Labour leader also demanded full control of next year’s Holyrood election campaign, including over resources.

Autonomy has been an issue in the contest to succeed Jeremy Corbyn amid claims the Scottish party is merely a “branch office”.

Leonard strongly opposed indyref2 until last summer, when shadow chancellor John McDonnell unilaterally announced a Labour government would not block another referendum.

(Image: Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning)

McDonnell’s intervention angered Scottish Labour activists and MSPs who believed the new message undermined them during the general election.

All three leadership candidates - Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long-Bailey - have said they will respect Leonard and his colleagues if they win.

In his letter to the trio, Leonard called on Scottish Labour to be involved in any policy decisions that affect his party.

He said: “This should include decisions regarding our constitutional future, which should be made in Scotland and led by the Scottish Labour Party.”

Leonard also called on the three candidates to make the Scottish Parliament election a “clear priority”.

He explained: “This would include ensuring that Party Political Broadcasts, election funding, staffing, and organising resources are led in Scotland by the Scottish Labour Party and that there will be greater co-operation and pooling of resources.”

Leonard was criticised last year after the UK party did not allow his face to appear on a European election leaflet distributed in Scotland.

In what may be seen as a dig at McDonnell, Leonard also wrote it was important to maintain “clear policy lines” across the party.