Murphy To Contest Westminster Seat

Jim Murphy has confirmed he is to stand for his East Renfrewshire seat again in the general election.

The Scottish Labour leader had faced calls to clarify whether he intends to run for the Westminster seat in May.

Mr Murphy has given a cast-iron'' commitment to be Labour's candidate for first minister in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election and to take a seat at Holyrood.

A spokesman for Mr Murphy said: Jim Murphy is currently the MP for East Renfrewshire and the candidate.

If that changes his constituents will be the first to be told.''

Mr Murphy said: I've given a commitment that I'll be in the Scottish Parliament in 2016 and Labour's candidate for first minister in 2016.

I'd like to be there sooner than that and in terms of how we do that and what we do, of course I'll let my constituents know first and my constituency party know first.

But there's a cast-iron guarantee to be a candidate in 2016 at those elections, if not before.''

Former first minister Alex Salmond previously served as both MSP and MP simultaneously, but Mr Murphy said that option is not something I'm attracted to''.