Nine candidates confirmed for Donside by-election

A total of nine candidates have been confirmed for the Aberdeen Donside contest. Picture: Neil Hanna

The by-election, which will be held on 20 June, is being staged following the death of SNP MSP Brian Adam from cancer at the age of 64.

North east list MSP Mark McDonald has already quit his Holyrood seat to fight to retain the constituency for the Scottish National Party. And the former Aberdeen City councillor will be facing two former colleagues at Aberdeen’s Town House in the contest.

Mr McDonald, who was an Aberdeen City councillor for Dyce, Danestone and Bucksburn from 2007 until 2012, will be up against Councillor Willie Young, a prominent member of the city council’s Labour group and the coalition’s finance spokesman, and Ross Thomson, the Conservative Councillor for the Hazlehead, Ashley and Queens Cross ward, who contested the seat at the 2011 Holyrood election.

Former journalist Christine Jardine is standing on behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats with local community councillor Rhonda Reekie standing for the Greens.

UKIP are contesting the seat for the first time. Their candidate, Otto Inglis, who was appointed secretary of UKIP in Scotland last month, previously stood for UKIP in the 2010 General Election in the Dunfermline and Fife West ward and in the 2012 Edinburgh Council elections for the Almond ward.

Completing the line up is Dave MacDonald, the National Front’s Scottish organiser, Tom Morrow, of the “Scottish Christian Party Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship,” and James Trolland, of the Scottish Democratic Alliance.

2011 Holyrood election result:

SNP 14,790 (55.4 per cent)

LABOUR 7,615 (28.5 per cent)

CONSERVATIVE 2,166 (8.1 per cent)

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT 1,606 (6.0 per cent)

Majority 7,175. Turnout 47.3 per cent.