Jim Murphy plans to re-write Scottish Labour's constitution as Sturgeon hints at minority government support

Jim Murphy plans to rewrite Scottish Labour's constitution in a bid to create his own "Clause IV moment".

The newly-elected Scottish Labour leader, in his first speech, will claim that the party must "set in stone" its belief in "putting the needs of Scotland first" in all areas of devolved policy.

The East Renfrewshire MP is making the move to stop voters picking pro-independence parties next may after the closely run Scottish Independence referendum and the Scottish National Party's (SNP) surge in the polls.

Murphy is expected to announce that the new clause will outline that Scottish interests have equal status as the core belief in "active solidarity" with working people across the UK and the rest of the world, the Guardian reported.

"[We] will set in stone the total devolution of policy making in devolved areas. Policy will be made in Scotland, for Scotland, by our Scottish party, putting the needs of Scotland first," the Scottish Labour leader will say.

The speech will come after Murphy, a former frontbencher in Ed Miliband's shadow government, won 55.7% of the vote, beating Neil Findlay and Sarah Boyack to become the leader of Scottish Labour.

Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader and first minister, is expected to press the Prime Minister David Cameron to permanently allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.

In addition, Sturgeon was reported this morning as saying that backing a Labour minority would be "good for the country" but would want commitment from Miliband of "substantial new powers" for Scotland.

In 1995 Tony Blair declared his intention to rewrite Labour's Clause IV and end the party's formal commitment to mass nationalisation - a defining point in the birth of New Labour.