General Election: Labour announce four candidates in Scotland with Better Together chief to stand in East Renfrewshire

Blair McDougall (Dougie Nicolson / DC Thomson)

FORMER Better Together campaign director Blair McDougall has been named as one of the first Labour candidates in Scotland for the upcoming General Election.

McDougall will stand in East Renfrewshire against the SNP’s Kirsten Oswald, who won the seat from Jim Murphy at the last election.

The constituency covers a mainly affluent area including Giffnock, Clarkston and Newton Mearns while also taking in Barrhead and Neilston.

The 2015 election resulted in an SNP majority of 3,718, having been held by the then Scottish Labour leader since 1997.

McDougall, a former adviser to Murphy, said: “It’s ridiculous that one of the most pro Union constituencies in the country is represented by an SNP MP.

“That’s because last time the votes of the majority were split.

“In East Renfrewshire the Tories are a distant third and are not at the races here.

“I brought together the anti-independence majority in 2014 and I’m going to do the same on June 8.”

Another three Labour candidates were also announced this afternoon, with Paul Sweeney set to contest Glasgow North East and former MSP Cara Hilton standing in Dunfermline and West Fife.

Rhea Wolfson, a prominent supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, will stand in Livingston.

Cara Hilton and Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale (Kim Cessford / DC Thomson)

Labour currently has only one MP in Scotland, Ian Murray in Edinburgh South, and faces a tough battle ahead of June 8th.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: “These candidates show that we are fighting hard across Scotland to boot the Tories out of office and deliver a Labour government on the side of working people.

“Applications flooded in from across the country to stand in this election, such is the determination of members to elect a Labour government for the many, not the few.

“Labour will run a positive campaign that rejects the divisiveness of the Tories and their plans for a hard Brexit, and the divisiveness of the SNP’s plans for a second independence referendum.

“In many areas across Scotland it’s a two horse race between Labour and the SNP. On June 8 people can vote for an SNP candidate who will campaign every day for another divisive referendum or they can back the Labour candidate who will be a local champion for their constituents.”