Monica Lennon joins Anas Sarwar in Scottish Labour leadership contest

Monica Lennon has confirmed she will challenge Anas Sarwar to be the next leader of Scottish Labour. 

The two MSPs are competing to replace Richard Leonard, who resigned on Thursday after three years in the position. 

Lennon, who led the successful campaign to provide free universal access to period products, announced her leadership bid on Sunday night. 

She tweeted: "Following discussions with party members, I have decided to put my name forward to lead the Scottish Labour Party. 

"Our members deserve to have their say about the best way to take forward our vision for a fairer and more equal Scotland. I look forward to being considered."

Anas Sarwar had already put his name forward on Saturday, saying he wanted to "rebuild Scottish Labour, and then rebuild Scotland". 

The deadline for candidates registering their interest passed on Sunday night, with a list of those nominated to be published on Tuesday.

The ballot will open on Tuesday, 9 February, and close on Friday, 26 February. The result will be announced on Saturday, 27 February.