AN award-winning councillor of the year – and a member of the First Minister's social justice commission – has been defeated in the party's internal election to stand in a key Holyrood contest.

Michelle Campbell, a registered mental health nurse, has been beaten by fellow councillor Natalie Don in the contest to win the nomination for Renfrewshire North and West.

The seat is currently held by former Finance Secretary Derek Mackay who currently sits as an independent MSP.

It had been thought Campbell, who is of Scottish and East African heritage, was in a strong position to win the nomination amid a wish by the party to see more candidates from BAME backgrounds.

But when the result of the contest was announced this evening Don was the winner.

She tweeted: "I am honoured that SNP members of Renfrewshire North & West have selected me as their SNP candidate.

"Thanks to @CampbellSNP, it was a great contest.

"I will be a local, hardworking candidate that is focused on independence. Now let’s do this"

Campbell replied: "Congratulations to Natalie- I have always said our constituency is in good hands regardless... now... we are one team; SNP and we need to get out the vote for our candidate!

"Let’s get this “Don". (Aye! That pun!)".

Campbell was elected onto Renfrewshire Council in 2017 and in 2019 won the councillor of the year award at the SNP’s annual St Andrew’s Day Dinner.

She is also a member of the commission set up by Nicola Sturgeon to build the case for a more economically just nation under independence.

The 36-year-old spent 12 years building a career in mental health nursing in the NHS and since February has worked for Gavin Newlands, the SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North.

She continues to be a registered mental health nurse and earlier in the Covid pandemic, in April, she returned to duty to help patients and staff at Glasgow’s Leverndale Hospital, which cares for people facing mental health problems – donating her earnings from the shift to Paisley charity, Recovery Across Mental Health (RAMH).

Mackay, once regarded as a possible future SNP leader and First Minister, was suspended from the SNP in February for sending inappropriate texts to a boy of 16.

The Renfrewshire North and West contest was delayed following an earlier tie in the election.

All but one of the SNP's internal elections to select candidates for next year's election have now been completed.

The contest in Cunninghame North has still to be finalised.