SNP Holyrood selection 'civil war' begins as ex-MP David Linden puts himself forward

The SNP selection battle for the Holyrood election has kicked off after a party MP who lost his Westminster seat last year confirmed he is bidding to run for Holyrood.

David Linden has put himself forward to contest the new Baillieston and Shettleston constituency in the east end of Glasgow next year.

David Linden was the MP for Glasgow East | Supplied

Controversial former SNP MSP John Mason, who lost the party whip and currently sits as an independent, won the Glasgow Shettleston seat in 2021 - beating Labour by more than 8,000 votes.

In July’s general election, Mr Linden lost his Glasgow East seat, which he had held since 2017, to Labour’s John Grady - but has now confirmed an immediate bid to revive his political career.

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But Mr Linden faces a battle with SNP national secretary, Alex Kerr, to be selected for the new Holyrood seat - while councillors Laura Doherty and Greg Hepburn are also standing.

Several other current and former SNP MPs have reportedly passed party vetting, teeing up a potential bid for Holyrood - including Stephen Flynn, Alison Thewliss, Stephen Gethins and Tommy Sheppard.

Mr Linden said that the general election defeat for the SNP last year “required us as a party to listen, reflect and learn”.

He added: “When I spoke with the First Minister, we agreed that the Holyrood elections require us to redouble our efforts to win back public trust, have a laser focus on the Scottish Government's key priorities for the electorate and ensure that we put forward our very best and most experienced candidates.

“Our candidates must carry a message of competence, clarity and ambition to voters who are concerned about the cost of living and supporting our NHS.”

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Mr Linden said he has been “encouraged by many people…to run for next year’s Holyrood election in the new re-drawn Baillieston and Shettleston seat”.

He said: “After a period of reflection, I’ve decided to put my name forward as our candidate.

“2026 will be a key milestone on the road to independence. Using my experience, local profile and reputation as a strong constituency representative, I look forward to making my pitch to SNP members and to the contest that follows.”

Mr Grady, who defeated Mr Linden last year by 3,784 votes, has branded the SNP selection battle “a civil war”.

He added: “The SNP should focus less on fighting amongst themselves and more on bringing down waiting lists and improving living standards for hard-working Scots.”