The former Scottish secretary was chosen ahead of MSPs Neil Findlay and Sarah Boyack, with 55.77 per cent of the vote under the party’s electoral college system.

Speaking after the result was announced in Glasgow this afternoon, Mr Murphy said: “This is a fresh start for the Scottish Labour Party. Scotland is changing and so too is Scottish Labour.” He will now have to win a seat in the Scottish Parliament before he can go head-to-head with new First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at Holyrood.

Mr Murphy said his aim was to tackle poverty and use new Holyrood powers to bring in a new 50p top income tax rate for people earning more than £150,000.

He added: "It is my driving purpose, it is our driving purpose, it's Scottish Labour's driving purpose to end that type of inequality once and for all.

"While I'm proud that so many children from prosperous backgrounds do brilliantly at school, it makes me angry that it's three times harder to get good school results if you're from a poorer family than a prosperous family."