Tories sued over MEP ‘stitch-up’ by Davidson

A FORMER Scottish Conservative candidate is taking legal action against the party over claims she should be their new MEP.

The Tories have to replace Ian Duncan, who is being given a peerage and appointed Scotland Office Minister.

His MEP role normally would go to the person next on the party’s list for the European Parliament – Belinda Don, a former adviser and parliamentary assistant to ex-MEP Struan Stevenson. But the Tories want businessman Iain McGill, fifth on the list, in the job instead.

Mrs Don, from Edinburgh, has now served a writ on the party. It has been claimed that Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson does not want Mrs Don to get the job – and the candidates who are third and fourth on the list are no longer eligible or available.

In a similar case last year, former Olympic rower Alex Story failed in a legal bid to become the Conservative MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber after the party’s previous MEP, Timothy Kirkhope, was sent to the House of Lords.

Mr Story had been second on the list but the job was given to third-placed John Procter.

The Conservatives argued they were free to select whichever candidate they wanted.

A Scottish Tory spokesman confirmed the writ had been served but said the party was unable to comment.

A party source claimed Mrs Don ‘disappeared’ after failing to get elected in 2014 – and only returned when there was a prospect of the seat becoming available. However, other Tory insiders branded it a ‘stitch-up’ to let Miss Davidson get her preferred candidate in place.

Preferred candidate