Moray By-election

'I am delighted to get the opportunity to follow in Margaret Ewing's footsteps, but it would be foolish for any candidate to pretend they can fill her shoes.' Richard Lochhead MSP, 2 nd April 2006.

SNP selects would-be successor to Ewing

From the Scotsman 3 rd April 2006

THE Scottish National Party yesterday unveiled Richard Lochhead as its candidate for the Scottish Parliament by-election in Moray.

The poll has been called for 27 April following the death of MSP Margaret Ewing last month.

At a meeting in Elgin, Mr Lochhead was endorsed by the local party as the sole nominee for the position.

He is currently MSP for the North-east list and will resign his seat this week to stand in the by-election. He had already been selected to contest Moray in the 2007 Scottish elections.

He said: "I am delighted to get the opportunity to follow in Margaret Ewing's footsteps, but it would be foolish for any candidate to pretend they can fill her shoes."

Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP's Holyrood leader, said voting for Mr Lochhead would give Moray a first-class representative in the Scottish Parliament - "and send a powerful message to the rest of the nation that it is time for a new government in Scotland".