Murray loses out in the race to fight for Livingston seat

LABOUR has drawn up a four-strong shortlist to succeed Jim Devine as its candidate in Livingston at the general election.

But senior Edinburgh councillor Ian Murray, who put his name forward for the nomination, was excluded from the contest at the first hurdle.

Mr Devine, who has been MP for the town since 2005, was banned from standing again after an expenses scandal.

The four who will now fight it out to become the Labour candidate are former West Lothian Council leader Graeme Morrice, fellow councillor John McGinty, community education worker Gordon Connolly and former House of Commons worker Adenike Abimbola-Akindele.

There were 14 applicants, including several from other parts of Scotland and the UK.

Councillor Murray, Labour's finance spokesman in Edinburgh, failed to make it to the "long list" of eight drawn up by the constituency party executive.