THE indy campaigner behind the Article 30 court case is to stand for the Scottish Parliament in a bid to become Presiding Officer.

Martin Keatings was the driving force behind the landmark legal action which sought to establish whether or not Holyrood can call a vote on the constitution without Westminster agreement.

Keatings put the case before the Court of Session on behalf of the Forward As One group with the aim of securing legal clarification that the Scottish Parliament could legislate for a fresh ballot without securing an Article 30 order.

Judge Lady Carmichael did not make a ruling on the competency of the action, but did dismiss the case on the grounds that Keatings “lacks standing” to bring the action as he is not an MSP.

Now Keatings has revealed a May 6 election bid for the Mid-Scotland and Fife region – in the hopes of becoming an independent Presiding Officer. That position is voted on by MSPs without public input and was last held by Labour’s Ken Macintosh.

Keatings said: “I feel I have proven I can walk the fine line down the middle of party politics. Let’s face it, that skill will come in handy because my impression is that parliament is definitely going to need a referee. And better it be a Yesser than a Unionist.”

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Keatings had been announced as a candidate for Action For Independence (AFI) before the Alba Party launch on Friday. AFI said it would withdraw later that day to avoid splitting Yes votes on the list.

He has now launched a crowdfunder and told The National: “I joined AFI to try and give our case other options and alternatives. But I am and have always been independent. The current climate has created a catch-22 situation that many are aware of, so I have been forced into standing in this manner as an

independent because there was no third option.

“When someone becomes a presiding officer, they need to give up their party colours.

“A pro-independence independent does not have to do that, and it creates a situation where none of the pro-independence parties has to give up their party colours.

“What the Scottish Parliament needs is a person who can praise and metaphorically knock heads together in equal measure. So I am making my intentions clear from the outset. I’m standing on a mandate to become PO. The question, if I am elected, is whether parliamentarians will respect it.

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“If people in Mid-Scotland and Fife vote for me, great! If they don’t, then fair enough. But the one thing that cannot be said is that I did not try everything within my power to push forward with the case and push forward the debate about the routes to Scottish independence.”