The Scottish Labour leader said: “When I was elected Scottish Labour leader, I promised to be honest and straightforward with party members.
“So what I will say next, I am telling you because I know you will be as angry as I am.
“At the very moment I was standing up to open the debate of no confidence in John Swinney, a journalist from the Murdoch press contacted Scottish Labour’s press office, having received a briefing attempting to sow division between me and UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
“This was a complete fabrication, which Keir’s office immediately told the journalist was ‘nonsense’.
“Nonetheless, the story was printed.
“Unfortunately, this was the latest episode in a coordinated series of attacks briefed anonymously by figures in Scottish Labour who opposed my leadership, and sought to undermine it, from the moment I was elected by the membership.
“The fact that they have chosen to attack my leadership at the very point when our focus should have been uniting on the failings of the SNP Government goes to show how damaging and misplaced their priorities are.”
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