SNP candidate announced

THE SNP has announced their candidate for the May elections to the Scottish Parliament.

Highland councillor Jean Urquhart will challenge sitting MSP Tavish Scott for the Shetland seat, which he has held since the Parliament was formed in 1999.

Ms Urquhart runs a hotel in Ullapool, the town she represents on the council. The local SNP branch were last week unaware of her candidacy, which was only announced on Tuesday.

So far the only other party to field a candidate are Labour, who have put forward Glasgow human rights lawyer Jamie Kerr.

Former SIC chief executive David Clark had been proposed as an SNP candidate last year, but his nomination was turned down by the party’s central headquarters. In 2007 the SNP came in second to the Liberal Democrats.