SCOTTISH Labour’s implosion continued yesterday as Anas Sarwar took another swipe at party chiefs.

In an open letter to members, the Glasgow MSP slated leaders over the internal divisions and lack of clear direction, which he said were causes of its humiliation in the European Parliament elections.

The message, directed at Labour members in the city he represents, stated that “the factionalism and division needs to stop” and said those responsible for the lacklustre election campaign “have chosen to lash out and attack their own colleagues”.

It goes on: “The newsfeeds and social media accounts that believe they speak for the leadership need to understand the damage they do to it and the wider party by constantly baiting and attacking our own.

“The leadership must decide whether they speak for a clique or faction or whether they speak for all of our party and aspire to speak for the country.

“They must do more than just say we are a broad church movement. They must demonstrate it with actions and deeds. They must reach out and do so urgently.

“Our country is deeply divided, inequality and poverty are on the rise, and the perpetrators of hate are fuelling prejudice.”

He added: “We desperately need a Scottish Labour Party that can rise to this challenge.”

READ MORE: Scottish Labour implodes after disastrous European elections

But when asked if he would launch an official challenge to Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, Sarwar stated: “Categorically no.”

Labour polled just 9% in Scotland in the Brussels vote, and frontbenchers Neil Findlay and Daniel Johnson quit their party positions in the wake of the result.

Earlier this week, Jamie Glackin, a former chairman, said Labour is “essentially on life support at the moment and facing a terminal decline in Scotland”.

In his letter, Sarwar – who ran against Leonard to succeed Kezia Dugdale – expressed “disappointment” at the loss of long-serving MEP David Martin and said Findlay will be “sorely missed”.

He went on: “We can only advocate unity to the country if we demonstrate unity in our party.

“That’s why the factionalism and division needs to stop. That is a responsibility for all of us, but the culture is set at the top and leadership must come from there too.”

The intervention comes ahead of a meeting of Labour’s Scottish executive committee next Saturday.

Leonard said: “The result of the European election was humbling for Labour across the UK and as Scottish Labour leader, it is my job to reflect on that and how the party moves forward together.

“That is why I quickly made it clear that we will back a confirmatory vote on Brexit and campaign to Remain.”

Meanwhile, Pete Willsman, who sits on Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), has been suspended after allegedly stating that the party’s anti-Semitism row had been “whipped up” by the Israeli embassy after it directed rabbis to complain.

He is accused of telling Tuvia Tenenbom, an American-Israeli author: “It’s almost certain who is behind all this anti-Semitism against Jeremy [Corbyn], almost certainly it’s the Israeli embassy.”

Comments said to have been made by Willsman emerged in a recording obtained by broadcaster LBC.

Jewish groups and MPs have called for his expulsion and a party spokeswoman said: “Peter Willsman has been suspended from the Labour Party, pending investigation.”