Jim Leishman launches bid to become Labour MSP

JIM Leishman, the former director of football at Dunfermline Athletic, has launched a bid to become a Labour MSP in next year’s Holyrood elections, The Scotsman has learned.

Jim Leishman. Picture: JP

The former Pars boss is attempting to get selected on Scottish Labour’s regional list for the Mid Scotland and Fife region area in the election next May.

Mr Leishman was elected as the Provost of Fife in 2012 when his campaign as backed by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former First Minister Henry McLeish.

However, Mr Leishman said that he “liked his apprenticeship” as a Provost and that he now wanted to get elected to Holyrood to raise issues like the NHS and housing.

The former football manager is already on Scottish Labour’s list of approved candidates for the 2016 Holyrood elections and his name will now go forward to a shortlist of party members who will be balloted in the New Year.

With the SNP expected to win most of the constituency seats the best chance for Labour candidates of being elected to Holyrood is via the regional list section.

Mr Leishman is expected to face competition for a top ranking on the list from former Dunfermline and West Fife Labour MP Thomas Docherty, who lost his seat in May’s General Election but now hopes to become an MSP.

Confirming his bid to become an MSP, Mr Leishman said: “Yes, I’m going to try to get selected in Mid Scotland and Fife.

“I’ve been three and a half years as provost and I’ve liked my apprenticeship learning from people in the area and from seasoned campaigners.

“I was approached about this, so I’m going to go through the process and see how I get on.

“I think everyone has got a chance as there are a lot of people there who care about Scotland.

“The main things that I want to campaign on and raise are issues like housing, the NHS, energy and against austerity.

“There are a lot of things to be getting on with.

“If I can’t do it properly I won’t hang around.”