Three SNP ministers are facing a selection contest for their seats ahead of next year’s Scottish Parliament election. Shirley-Anne Somerville (Dunfermline & East Fife), Fergus Ewing (Inverness & Nairn) and Ash Denham (Edinburgh Eastern) will need to overcome challenges from party activists to get the nomination. A further eight SNP MSPs (Christine Grahame, Colin Beattie, Kenneth Gibson, James Dornan, David Torrance, Stuart McMillan, Fulton McGregor and John Mason) are also facing selection contests for the constituency seats they currently hold.
In 36 of the 73 constituency seats the party will ask local members to approve a sole nominee – 33 of these nominees are sitting MSPs plus Orkney, Shetland and Clydesdale. In Clydesdale, where Aileen Campbell is stepping down, special adviser Màiri McAllan is the only candidate for the nomination. Sole nominees have to secure the support of 50 members by 12:00 on Wednesday 30 September to become the party’s candidate.
Other SNP list MSPs are entering competitive ballots for constituency nominations, including Maree Todd who is seeking the nomination in Caithness, Sutherland & Ross. Vetting of challenger candidates is still ongoing with names expected to join the contested nominations over the coming week.
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MSPs who are sole nominees:
Non-MSP sole nominees: