West SNP candidate looks to seal place on Lothian list

AN SNP MSP who represents the West of Scotland is bidding to cross the country and secure a place on the party's Lothians top-up list at next year's elections.

Bill Wilson - who once stood against John Swinney for the SNP leadership - will be up against former Scotsman associate editor George Kerevan and a host of other hopefuls fighting for a high enough slot to stand a realistic chance of being elected.

Voting in the internal ballot of SNP members to rank the list hopefuls ended yesterday.

Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Edinburgh East & Musselburgh, is expected to top the list as he did in 2007. Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop, Livingston MSP Angela Constance and sitting Lothians list MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville are expected to take the next three places on the list.

But the Nationalists currently have a total of five constituency and list MSPs in Lothians, so with former GP Ian McKee standing down there is potentially a vacant seat to fill.

Dr Wilson, who was elected via the West of Scotland list in 2007, said he wanted to swap regions because his home is in Edinburgh.

He failed in a bid to get selected as candidate in Paisley, which is part of the West of Scotland region. He said his natural base was the Capital.

He said: "I feel I can be more active here.

"My wife's job is in Edinburgh. I've been living half the time in a flat in Paisley - entirely at my own cost - and the other half here."

He said he had been living in Edinburgh when he was elected in 2007 and working here for the Scottish Funding Council, but had stood in the West of Scotland because he had been heavily involved in political campaigning there.

After the SNP's poor performance in the 2003 elections, Dr Wilson mounted a challenge to the then leader John Swinney, who comfortably won the vote but resigned the following year.

Mr Kerevan fought the target seat of Edinburgh East for the party at this year's general election, but could not repeat Mr MacAskill's 2007 Holyrood triumph.

He failed to win the selection for the new Midlothian North & Musselburgh seat, but his association with Mr MacAskill means he could do better in the list contest.

Others in the running include public affairs consultant Alex Orr; Jim Eadie, a healthcare consultant running for Edinburgh Southern; Colin Beattie, who is standing in Midlothian North & Musselburgh; and Colin Keir, councillor for Drumbrae/Gyle, who is candidate in Edinburgh Western.

n SNP researcher Marco Biagi will be the party's candidate in Edinburgh Central. He is not seeking a place on the list.

[email protected]