Chris Huhne has secured a clear lead among Liberal Democrats at Holyrood in his bid to win the party's Westminster leadership.

Ten of the 16 LibDem MSPs have told The Herald they are backing the party's environment spokesman against Nick Clegg.

But the reverse is true among Scottish LibDem MPs, who favour Mr Clegg, the home affairs spokesman, who has been front-runner to replace Sir Menzies Campbell since the North-East Fife MP resigned last month.

Ross Finnie, the former environment minister, is the most senior Scottish LibDem to give his backing to Mr Huhne, writing in The Herald that he was attracted by his commitment to social liberalism to tackle inequality.

Support also comes from Mike Pringle, Robert Brown, John Farquahar Munro, Jim Hume, Hugh O'Donnell, Jeremy Purvis, Mike Rumbles, Margaret Smith, and Jamie Stone. The sole Scottish LibDem MEP, Elspeth Attwooll, has also joined that team.

There is support for Nick Clegg from Tavish Scott, Liam McArthur and Jim Tolson, while Scottish leader Nicol Stephen and Iain Smith are opting not to declare a preference.

Mr Clegg has support declared by seven of the 12 MPs, including Scottish deputy leader Michael Moore. Former leaders Sir Menzies Campbell and Charles Kennedy are not backing either side, and three have not declared.

Among reasons given for backing Mr Huhne, Mr Pringle, the Edinburgh South MSP, said his previous experience in business would win the confidence of the financial community. Mike Rumbles, of Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine, backed Mr Huhne's opposition to spending on renewal of the Trident programme, one of a few issues to divide the two candidates.

"He is the only senior Liberal Democrat who seems to fully understand that devolution doesn't stop with Scotland and Wales but needs to be extended to England too," he added.

Robert Brown, the party's Glasgow MSP, said: "His belief in building power from the bottom up will go down particularly well in Scotland."

Margaret Smith, the Edinburgh West MSP, said she had decided to back Mr Huhne after hearing him at the party's hustings in Edinburgh last weekend.

"I believe Chris has the ideas to revitalise not only our party, but British politics generally," she said.

Ballot papers are being sent to LibDems on November 21 and the result will be announced on December 17