INDY campaigner Martin Keatings will see the appeal over his People’s Action on Section 30 (PAOS30) back in court today, a month before the Holyrood election, as he bids to overturn an earlier finding from Lady Carmichael.

When she dismissed the action after a two-day hearing, Carmichael ruled it was “premature” and the question of another referendum was “also hypothetical, and may never come to pass”.

Although she did not rule on the action’s competency, she dismissed it on the grounds that Keatings “lacks standing” to bring the action because he is not an MSP.

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Keatings is now seeking to remedy that after revealing he is standing as an independent in Mid-Scotland and Fife with the hope of becoming Presiding Officer, who is selected by MSPs with no public input.

He was a candidate for Action for Independence (AFI) before their leadership withdrew all their Holyrood hopefuls and threw their lot in with Alex Salmond’s Alba Party.

Keatings has been the driving force in the PAOS30, which he originally brought on behalf of the Forward as One group, which he leads.

He said he had proven he can walk the fine line down the middle of party politics, and added: “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.”