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ANAS Sarwar last night dramatically quit as deputy leader of the Scottish Labour party .

The Glasgow Central MP rocked the party by revealing he would follow in the footsteps of Johann Lamont by standing down .

The shock move means Scottish Labour has lost its entire leadership team in the space of a week as the SNP surge in the polls.

Sarwar announced his decision tonight at a Labour fundraising dinner in Glasgow attended by Ed Miliband .

He was given a standing ovation for stepping aside to allow a new leader and deputy leader to be elected simultaneously.

The event was expected to be dominated by Lamont’s explosive resignation over the weekend in which she accused the party’s Westminster leadership of treating Scotland like a “branch office” .

But Sarwar stunned the party activists in attendance by revealing that he too had decided to stand aside.

Speaking just before of the event, he told the Record: “After thinking about it long and hard over the last few days I have decided that I believe Scottish Labour should be represented by a leadership team that is focused on the Scottish Parliament.

“It has been a privilege to serve as deputy leader for the last three years and a honour I never thought I would receive.

“But I think the leadership contest that is going on now is a time for everybody to reflect on what is best for Scottish Labour.

“And after much soul searching I have come to the conclusion that I believe the Scottish Labour leadership team should be focused on Holyrood.

“I have spoken to Ed Miliband and informed him of this decision and told him I want to devote my efforts to securing a Labour victory at next year’s general election and help make Ed Miliband Prime Minister.”

Sarwar said he would stay on as interim leader until Johann Lamont’s successor is elected by the party on December 13 .

“The coming period offers the opportunity for the Labour membership to decide on the new leadership team.

“I will remain focused over the next seven weeks on ensuring Labour hold both the UK and Scottish governments to account and on getting the best outcome for Scotland out of the Smith Commission process for more powers for the Scottish Parliament.”

And he stressed that was not leaving the position because he shared any of Lamont’s criticisms of the party leadership.

The Record understands Sarwar’s departure will spark a deputy leadership contest that should see a new deputy elected at the same time as the new leader is appointed on December 13.

The latest twist in the Scottish Labour saga could be good news for leadership favourite Jim Murphy.

The Shadow International Development minister formally announced that he intends to stand for the post on Wednesday night .

He has said he wants to move from Westminster to Holyrood as soon as possible but there may not be any Scottish Parliament seats available until the next election in May 2016.

But if Murphy was elected leader with an MSP as his deputy it would solve the problem of who would lead the party at Holyrood until he was installed in a seat.

Daily Record columnist Kezia Dugdale is already being tipped as favourite to bag the post.

Murphy yesterday appointed two respected MSPs - Jenny Marra and James Kelly - as the joint chairs of his leadership team. They will also be mooted for the deputy position.

Murphy’s two rival leadership candidate - MSPs Neil Findlay and Sarah Boyack - have yet to unveil their leadership team.

Meanwhile, Ed Miliband addressed leadership crisis at the dinner.

Miliband told the dinner: "We meet here after a tough week for our party in Scotland and after an extraordinary year when Scotland has gone through a profound debate about its future.

“We meet here proud that in September we won the battle to keep our country together.

“And we meet here above all determined to fight to show the Scottish people that Labour can be the change they want to see.

“We heard in the referendum about what the people of Scotland want. There is a deep desire for economic and political change.

“The referendum rejected separation. However much the SNP may try and rewrite the result, the Scottish people voted for us to stay together.

“It means democratic change with more powers for a stronger Scottish Parliament."

His problems were made worse just hours before the event when a shock Ipsos Mori poll revealed the SNP now enjoy twice the support of Scottish Labour in Westminster voting intentions.

It showed Labour would poll 23 per cent of the Scottish vote, leaving them with just four seats in Scotland.

In comparison, support for the SNP has surged to 52 per cent, giving them a projected 54 seats at Westminster.

Around 200 protesters gathered outside the Grand Central Hotel and booed as Labour members entered the building.

First Minister Alex Salmond said the Labour meltdown showed Labour couldn’t be trusted in government.

“The events of recent days have simply proved what has been evident for some time, which is it that Labour is a hotbed of factionalism and poisonous infighting – between factions in Scotland and London and within those factions themselves.

“That is the reality of what their new leader in Scotland will inherit and what they will be consumed by – rather than concentrating on the issues that matter to the people of Scotland.”

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