Ex-minister claims record endorsements in Edinburgh Central as SNP selection contests get under way across Scotland

EX-GOVERNMENT minister Marco Biagi has claimed a record number of endorsements from members in his campaign to become the candidate in Edinburgh Central the SNP’s top target seat in the Capital at next year’s Holyrood election.

Marco Biagi is bidding to stand again in his former seat

As voting in the SNP’s internal selection contests across the country gets under way today, he released a list of 50 members of the branch who are publicly backing his bid for the nomination, which he believes to be the largest single group endorsement of any contested SNP selection

Mr Biagi, who served as MSP for the seat between 2011 and 2016 before standing down, is up against the party’s former Westminster leader Angus Robertson and activists Lee-Anne Menzies and Mridul Wadhwa.

The SNP has high hopes of regaining the seat after the then Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson won it last time. She is not standing again.

Mr Robertson has highlighted the support he has received from Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers and claimed the backing of “many of those most active Edinburgh Central members”.

Mr Biagi’s list of endorsements includes two current city councillors – Alison Dickie and Denis Dixon – and 20 recent branch officeholders.

His 50 backers have signed a joint declaration saying: "We are the active members all SNP candidates depend on. Over the years we are the ones who will knock the doors, deliver the leaflets, staff the stalls, run the fundraisers in Edinburgh Central. We have a difficult choice. There are many excellent candidates in front of us but we ask that you re-select Marco Biagi, so we can unite, re-elect him and win an independence majority. He knows the constituency and is committed to it. Vote Biagi - the best choice as constituency candidate."

Mr Biagi, who was was Local Government Minister 2014-16, welcomed their support. He said: “Let there be no doubt now about who the party’s local volunteers want to be campaigning for in Edinburgh Central next May. This is an unprecedented intervention that should count for more than any number of endorsements from celebrities unconnected to the constituency or members who moved away decades ago.

“During the 2014 referendum we argued that those who were best placed to make decisions for Scotland were those who lived and worked here. The s ame is true of the local branch. These are the people given their time and efforts over the years to win elections for this party. More importantly, they are the people who have had a chance to get to know all the candidates.”

Ballots are due to be issued to SNP members electronically and by post tomorrow and must be returned by November 6.

There are also selection contests in five other Lothians seats.

In Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, sitting MSP Christine Grahame is being challenged by Tweeddale councillor Heather Anderson. Ms Grahame said: “I welcome this opportunity to argue my case to stand again, having won and retained the seat on two occasions each time increasing my share of the vote. I was a little surprised to be challenged by my colleague Councillor Anderson with whom I have worked and shared surgeries over the years but she had every democratic right to do so.”

Edinburgh Eastern MSP Ash Denham is being challenged by city councillor and housing and economy convener Kate Campbell and activist Irshad Ahmed.

In East Lothian, where Labour’s Iain Gray is standing down, there are six contenders for the SNP nomination – councillors Stuart Currie and Paul McLennan; Lyn Jardine, former chair of East and Midlothian Women’s Aid; Iain Whyte, office manager for South of Scotland MSP Paul Wheelhouse; former Glasgow list candidate Sid Khan; and Edinburgh activist Lee-Anne Menzies.

Seven hopefuls are chasing the SNP nomination in Labour-held Edinburgh Southern – Catriona MacDonald, who stood at the Westminster election; education vice-convener Alison Dickie; transport convener Lesley Macinnes; Clackmannanshire councillor Donald Balsillie; businessman Douglas Thomson; and activists Andrew Ewen and Irshad Ahmed.

And in Lib Dem-held Edinburgh Western there are also seven contenders – Sarah Masson, candidate at the Westminster election; Glasgow councillor Graham Campbell: social enterprise leader Ewan Hunter; environmental activist Angus Nelson; digital campaigner Aidan Strange; and Heather Anderson and Donald Balsillie, mentioned already.

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