The candidates to replace Angus North and Mearns MSP Mairi Gougeon have emerged – and they include a former SNP MP.
Ex-Aberdeenshire MP Richard Thomson was toppled in last year’s Westminster election in a knife-edge race against the Tories who won with a majority of 878.
Now, the ex-MP is seeking to make his political comeback to replace current MSP Ms Gougeon who will quit Holyrood next year.
A total of five potential candidates are in the running for the constituency, including Aberdeen City Council co-leader Christian Allard.
Aberdeen City councillor Michael Hutchison and Aberdeenshire councillor Dawn Black are also understood to be potential candidates in the seat, along with Lynn Jardine, who is currently a councillor in East Lothian.
Miranda Radley, Aberdeen City Council’s housing convener, was also nominated but is understood to have pulled out of this race in favour of another.
SNP insiders said interest in the seat – one of the SNP’s strongholds – had been high.
‘I’ve been humbled and taken aback’
Speaking to the Courier, Mr Thomson promised to offer a “strong voice that can deliver real results” on the Holyrood stage.
He said: “I’ve been humbled and taken aback by the number of the folk – in and out of politics – who since the last election have encouraged me to consider standing for Holyrood.
“Since Mairi Gougeon’s decision to step down at the next election, I’ve been very pleased to receive encouragement from SNP members across the Angus North and Mearns area to get involved in the selection process to choose their next local candidate.
“Mairi leaves a big gap to fill, both as a local MSP and as a cabinet secretary.
“If selected and then later elected, I’d like to think that I have what it takes to make sure that this area continues to have hard-working, strong and effective voices at the heart of the decision-making process.”
The Courier revealed last month that Ms Gougeon was quitting Holyrood after 10 years in parliament.
The Brechin-native said being an MSP had been the “honour of my life”, but the time had come for her to look at new opportunities.
Mr Thomson is understood to be a close ally of Dundee-born SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn who is also targeting a Holyrood seat next year.
The constituency takes in from Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire to Forfar in Angus.
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