A FORMER MP vying to be the SNP candidate to retake East Lothian at the next General Election has said her experience at Westminster should help win the nomination.
Michelle Thomson was elected SNP MP for Edinburgh West in 2015, but lost the party whip and sat as an independent MP during a police investigation into allegations of mortgage fraud.
She always strongly denied any wrong doing and the case was later dropped. She is up against former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to get selected as the SNP candidate to oust Labour’s Martin Whitfield who won the seat in 2017.
Thomson told The National she had had a “difficult few years” but it had resulted in her being “stronger and more committed than ever” to the cause of independence.
“People may recall a whole host of stories about me in 2015. It was very difficult for a few years. But even I am I surprised and delighted to come out the end of that adversity stronger and more committed than ever. I know who my friends are and I know what I stand for - and I can assure the movement that I remain as committed as I ever was to our shared cause,” she said.
“If I were to be successful in selection I believe I am best placed to win for the SNP. I have been an MP and don’t need time to get up to speed with its archaic processes – I can hit the ground running from day one.
“Westminster is a totally different place to Holyrood and the SNP MPs must have a strong voice to be heard over and above the chaos of Brexit.”
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