Retiring Dundee councillor Lesley Brennan is to contest the Dundee East constituency for Labour in June’s general election.
Ms Brennan announced in October last year that she would not seek re-election as a Dundee councillor for the East End ward so she could return to work and support her children through university.
She has now been confirmed as the Labour candidate for Dundee East, although it would be a huge shock if the party was to win the seat back from the SNP’s Stewart Hosie.
The party’s former deputy leader defeated Ms Brennan with a commanding 19,000 majority in 2015 and a near 60% share of the vote.
Ms Brennan spent 10 weeks as a Labour MSP in 2016 after Richard Baker quit the parliament to take up a job with Age Scotland.
Ms Brennan replaced him as a list MSP for North East Scotland but lost he seat in that year’s election.
Alan Cowan, a former research for Marlyn Glen, has been chosen to take on the SNP’s Chris Law in the Dundee West constituency.
Labout has selected 29 women and 29 men for the general election in addition to the party’s sole current MP, Ian Murray.
They were chosen by a selection panel headed by Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.
She said: “I’m delighted to unveil our list of candidates for the General Election, and as a co-founder of Women 50:50 I’m thrilled we have achieved gender balance.
“Women are under-represented at almost every level of power in Scotland and by locking out that experience and talent we are putting limits on our nation’s potential.
“This announcement sends a powerful signal about the Labour Party’s commitment to gender equality, and I hope other parties will now follow our lead.
“Every single candidate selected for the General Election will be a champion for their local constituency, not a cheerleader for an unwanted second independence referendum.
“Only Labour can defeat the SNP in seats across Scotland, and by voting Labour in this election we can send Nicola Sturgeon a message that we don’t want another divisive referendum.
“There are only two outcomes on June 8: a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn that will work for the many not the few; or a miserable Tory government led by Theresa May that will continue with abhorrent policies such as the rape clause.”