JIM MURPHY was trying to wind up Yes supporters and make them behave like a “rowdy mob” during the referendum, according to a senior Labour MSP.

In his new book of diaries, Socialism and Hope, Neil Findlay launches a scathing attack on the former Eastwood MP who led Scottish Labour to near extinction in 2015.

In extracts of the book – published by the Sunday Herald – which features a foreword by Jeremy Corbyn, Findlay says Murphy “hasn’t a principled bone in his body”. He says Murphy wanted independence supporters to “behave like a rowdy mob so undecided voters will be turned off by it”.

During the 100 Towns in 100 Days tour for Better Together, Murphy would stand on top of an Irn-Bru crate in the middle of a street and make a speech in favour of the Union.

Often he would be heckled.

Often the only people at his speeches would be Better Together activists and hecklers.

In Kirkaldy, less than three weeks before the referendum, he was hit by an egg. Stuart McIntyre, 45, handed himself into police for the offence and, 10 days before the vote, was sentenced to 80 hours unpaid work in the community.

Findlay wrote at the time, that Murphy is “of course milking this for all its worth”, adding: “These events are getting worse and worse and the Yes mob who turn up are doing exactly what Murphy wants”.

In his book Findlay also accuses Murphy of using “every trick and manoeuvre” from “the Blairite recipe book” to plot against colleagues.

“He hasn’t a principled bone in his body. This is the type of politics people are rejecting,” Findlay writes.

Murphy, who since leaving politics has set up his own consultancy, did not respond to the Sunday Herald’s request for a comment.