Better Together chief Blair McDougall to seek election in East Renfrewshire

Blair McDougall - PA

Former Better Together campaign director Blair McDougall is to seek election for Jim Murphy's old seat in East Renfrewshire in June's general election.

The seat was won by the SNP's Kirsten Oswald in 2015 by a margin of 3,718 votes, but it thought to also be a target for the Scottish Conservatives after polling well in the area in the Scottish Parliament election.

McDougall coordinated David Miliband's unsuccessful campaign for the Labour leadership and went on to advise Jim Murphy during his stint as Scottish Labour leader.

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McDougall said he was "proud" to be selected to stand.

"It's ridiculous that one of the most pro Union constituencies in the country is represented by an SNP MP," he said.  

"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.”  

Elsewhere, Labour announced a further three candidates. Former MSP Cara Hilton will fight to win back Dunfermline and West Fife for Labour, Corbynite and NEC member Rhea Wolfson will contest Livingston and Paul Sweeney will contest Glasgow North East.

Party leader Kezia Dugdale said Labour would run a positive campaign.

“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," she said. “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.