ONE of Scottish Labour’s new intake of MPs has criticised his party’s General Election campaign, saying it was run more like a by-election.

Paul Sweeney, who took Glasgow North East seat from the SNP’s Anne McLaughlin in June by 242 votes, suggested his party’s fight lacked ambition by focusing on holding Ian Murray’s solitary’s seat in Edinburgh rather than trying to recapture traditional Labour heartlands.

“I felt we ran the Scottish campaign like an Edinburgh South by-election,” Sweeney said.

His comments follow a highly critical analysis of the Scottish Labour election campaign by the internal Labour group,Campaign for Socialism, whose members are strongly supportive of Jeremy Corbyn’s left-wing approach.

Its report, published last month, accused Scottish Labour of holding back the UK-wide effort to put Corbyn in Number 10 and for concentrating too much supporting for the Union at the expense of getting its socialist message across.

The former Labour MSP Lesley Brennan, who compiled the study, said the Scottish Party led an anti-SNP campaign with the “send Nicola a message” narrative that almost silenced Jeremy’s message of “for the many”.

Sweeney, shadow Scottish minister, spoke out as Corbyn arrived in Scotland to tour marginal constituencies he wants Labour to win at the next General Election.

The Labour leader highlighted plans for “rural proof” policies as he kicked off his campaign tour of the Western Isles, before heading to Glasgow today.

Corbyn will join Kezia Dugdale on a visit to Parkhead Housing Association in Glasgow and later make a speech to young members in the city’s Drygate Brewery where they will outline plans to tackle poverty and inequality.

Corbyn is also expected to outline plans to build more housing during the visit as his party publishes figures which show that 66,000 people in Glasgow would benefit from a living wage of £10 per hour.

Speaking at the rally this evening, Corbyn is expected to say: “Labour is the only party that will end austerity across the UK. We will help pay for that by ending the tax giveaways to the super rich and big business.

“Here in Glasgow, poverty blights far too many lives and far too many children’s lives. There are huge endemic health problems and poverty and inequality continues to blight the lives of too many in the city. We are committed to a comprehensive approach to ending this national shame.

“Labour will improve and increase housing provision, invest in our people and communities, increase pay at work and improve working conditions, create jobs, and protect our most vulnerable people.”

Responding to Sweeney’s remarks, a Scottish Labour spokesman said: “Scottish Labour ran a national election campaign that won seven seats in constituencies across Scotland.

“Labour was the only party in Scotland offering a pro-UK, anti-austerity message that resonated with voters throughout the country.

“Labour remains on an election footing and the party is on the cusp of unseating many more SNP MPs at the next General Election as we fight to deliver a government that will work for the many and not the few.”

A SNP spokesman said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s backing for the Tories’ hard Brexit is set to hit our rural communities hardest.

“Rural areas benefit massively from our membership of the EU, having access to funding, tariff-free trade and a highly skilled labour market.

“Sadly, rather that wanting to protect these benefits for rural communities, Labour are pledging to deliver an extreme Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn simply cannot be trusted to deliver for rural Scotland.”

Corbyn will hold a public rally in Coatbridge tomorrow and visit Kirkcaldy on Saturday.