Holyrood elections 2026: Labour names new candidate for Edinburgh Northern to replace Foysol Choudhury
Labour has named a new candidate for the Edinburgh Northern seat at the Scottish Parliament elections in May.
Eleanor Ryan-Saha replaces Lothian MSP Foysol Choudhury, who was due to stand in the newly-created constituency following a selection contest in August.
Mr Choudhury was suspended from the Labour Party in September while an investigation was carried out into a complaint against him. The party said the investigation was ongoing and suspended members were not eligible to be Labour candidates.
Ms Ryan-Saha was selected by party members from an all-women shortlist, winning comfortably over party activist Rebecca Bell.
Ms Ryan-Saha works as a caseworker for a child disability charity, lives in the constituency and is a parent/carer representative on Edinburgh's education committee.
Edinburgh Northern was originally twinned with Edinburgh South Western for a selection contest to choose one male and one female candidate, with the person winning the most votes able to choose which seat to fight.
Catriona Munro emerged as the top candidate, defeating Rebecca Bell, and opted to stand in Edinburgh South Western. Fosyol Choudhury won the male contest against Edinburgh transport convener Stephen Jenkinson and became the candidate for Edinburgh Northern.
When Mr Choudhury was suspended, a fresh selection process was instigated.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: "The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken."
Edinburgh Northern is a new constituency, which takes in part of the current Edinburgh Western seat and part of Edinburgh Northern & Leith.
It stretches from Davidson’s Mains in the west to Bonnington in the east, taking in Blackhall, Drylaw, Silverknowes, Muirhouse, Pilton, Granton, Wardie, Inverleith, Trinity, Canonmills, Stockbridge and Comely Bank.
The Lib Dems are targeting the seat and have selected Forth ward councillor Sana Dijkstra-Downie as their candidate, claiming it will be a close fight between them and the SNP, who have councillor Euan Hyslop as candidate.
The latest projection from political website Ballot Box Scotland shows the SNP winning the seat with 28.6 per cent of the vote, with the Lib Dems on 23.5 per cent, Reform UK on 14.1 per cent and Labour and the Greens each on 12.2 per cent, while the Tories are on 7.8 per cent.