Ian Murray through to final stage of Labour deputy leadership contest

Ian Murray has become the latest candidates to make it through to the last round of the Labour leadership contest.

The Edinburgh South MP secured his place on the ballot paper after receiving the backing of his 33rd Constituency Labour Party.

It means he now joins Angela Rayner, Dawn Butler and Richard Burgon in the final round, in which party members and registered supporters vote for their favourite.

Murray, a former Shadow Scottish Secretary, said he was the only candidate prepared to change the direction of the party in the wake of its humiliating election defeat.

He said: "I’m extremely grateful to ordinary Labour members across England, Scotland and Wales who have backed me for deputy leader.

"Grassroots members up and down the country have chosen to put change on the ballot paper.

"If members are happy to remain in opposition, they should vote for one of the other candidates, who all stand for continuity.

"To return to power, Labour must change and become a credible alternative government. That starts by listening to voters in seats we lost, which is what I have been doing during this campaign.

"I will continue to campaign in every corner of Britain over the coming days, because Labour must become a party for the entire country once again – all its nations and regions.

"Having a Scot at the top of the party will send that important signal, because the path to a Labour government will always run through Scotland."

Murray has also been extremely critical of Burgon's policy of giving Labour members a veto on whether the party supports military action.

Under his policy, the Shadow Justice Secretary said Labour "would not endorse, or back, or support military action, unless the members gave it their explicit approval", or if it had UN backing.

But writing for PoliticsHome, Murray said: "Fantasy proposals to hold internal Labour Party referendums on military action are not the way to win back power. Quite the opposite.

"Labour will only win again by becoming a credible alternative government. That means understanding that decisions on military action are key decisions for government ministers to take, in possession of full information which will rightly not always be in the public domain."