 | 'Moray SNP is still coming to terms with the loss of Margaret Ewing who was a popular and much loved figure in the constituency. However, the SNP has now selected a first class candidate in Richard Lochhead to be our standard bearer'. Moray local party convener Gordon McDonald, 2 nd April 2006. |  |
Richard Lochhead, the SNP MSP, yesterday sparked anger within his party over a delay in resigning from the Scottish Parliament to fight the Moray by-election.
The constituency association confirmed him yesterday as its candidate to replace Margaret Ewing, who died last month.
To fight the Highland constituency for the April 27 ballot, he has to resign his current North East Scotland list seat, but that is expected to be timed to favour another close ally of Alex Salmond and to work against one of his party adversaries.
The seat should automatically go to Alasdair Allan, the party's national secretary. But he is up for selection as Western Isles candidate on Thursday, and Mr Lochhead Ð also a close political ally of Mr Salmond, the party leader Ð is expected to delay his resignation until he knows if Mr Allan has succeeded.
If he wins the Hebridean selection battle, he can choose not to take up the North East seat, focusing instead on the Western Isles campaign. If he loses it, he will take up the North East seat.
This is seen among leadership critics as a "shoddy" way of treating Maureen Watt, who is next in line to inherit the North East seat and is not at all close to Mr Salmond.
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