A BY-election for the Shetland constituency has been announced for Thursday, August 29, with voters deciding who will succeed LibDem MSP Tavish Scott.
The former LibDem leader announced last month he was standing down as the Shetland representative at Holyrood after getting a new job with Scottish Rugby.
Scott had been the islands' MSP since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and, at the last election, won by a majority of 44%, making it the safest seat by percentage in Scotland.
The Parliament's Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh has written to the returning officer of the Shetland Islands Council Jan-Robert Riise to confirm the date of the by-election.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats have chosen Beatrice Wishart to contest the by-election.
Wishart, who is the depute convener of Shetland Islands Council, wrote on Twitter: "I am thrilled to announce I have been selected to stand as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Shetland in the upcoming by-election.
"I've lived and worked in Shetland most of my life and I'm keenly aware of the issues that need to be addressed."
I am thrilled to announce I have been selected to stand as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Shetland in the upcoming by-election. I’ve lived and worked in Shetland most of my life and I’m keenly aware of the issues that need to be addressed.https://t.co/SGbHj8vA6t
— Beatrice Wishart (@BeatriceWishart) July 14, 2019
Scottish Labour have announced that accountant and local councillor Johan Adamson will stand for the party in the by-election, while two other councillors, Ryan Thomson and Ian Scott, are standing as independents.
Ukip have put up Stuart Martin to contest the seat, while the Scottish Conservatives and Greens are yet to announce if or who they will stand as candidates in the by-election.
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