Cathy Jamieson declares ambition to be MP

Published on Saturday 19 December 2009 19:18

A SENIOR member of Labour's Holyrood team has announced her intention to quit the Scottish Parliament and fight for a seat at Westminster.

Cathy Jamieson, the former Labour justice minister, is to seek her party's candidacy for the Kilmarnock and Loudoun seat, left vacant by the ex-Defence Secretary Des Browne.

If she wins the seat, she would continue as an MSP for a year, before resigning from Holyrood ahead of the 2011 Scottish elections.

Holyrood colleague Margaret Curran has already announced her plans to contest Glasgow East at next year's general election.

If both succeed, it would mean Labour's Scottish Parliament team would lose two prominent female members to Westminster.

Two other MSPs – the Conservatives' Alex Johnston and John Lamont – are also hoping to leave Holyrood for Westminster. At present, no MPs have declared any intention to make the journey in the opposite direction.

Jamieson said she had made her decision after a number of local members asked her to stand.

She added: "There will be a full selection process, and local party members will make their choice. I believe I have the energy, enthusiasm and experience to win the seat for Labour and be an effective representative for every part of Kilmarnock and Loudoun. That's why I am putting myself forward for the selection contest."

Labour won the seat in 2005 with a near 20 per cent majority over the SNP. However, in the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections, the SNP won the Holyrood seat in Kilmarnock on a 4 per cent swing.

SNP Westminster Group whip Stewart Hosie MP said: "That Labour has to seek an MSP as a candidate in Kilmarnock & Loudoun only looks like they are running scared."

He added: "We are taking nothing for granted in Kilmarnock & Loudon but under Iain Gray and Jim Murphy Labour in Scotland is now looking devoid of any fresh talent for Westminster. That an MSP opts to try to stand for Westminster begs questions of how unhappy the crew must be in Iain Gray's Holyrood ship."