3.18pm BSTDouglas Ross’s decision to stand to be an MP has left a “bad taste” in the north-east Scotland constituency where he is running, first minister John Swinney has said. The Scottish Conservative leader put himself forward as candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East after David Duguid was told by the party’s management board that he could not stand due to his ill-health. Ross said he would step down as leader shortly afterwards, when his colleagues expressed unhappiness at the move. Boundary changes mean that Aberdeenshire North and Moray East is being contested for the first time, but most of the constituency was in Banff and Buchan, previously represented by Duguid. While campaigning in Keith, Moray, alongside SNP candidate Seamus Logan on Sunday, Swinney told the PA news agency:

Source: The Guardian June 16, 2024 08:30 UTC