Ruth-less bid for Edinburgh Central
The race to replace Ruth Davidson as MSP in the city centre is hotting up. Joanna Cherry, QC, MP, for Edinburgh South West announced that she will seek the SNP candidacy for Edinburgh Central in the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary elections.
Former SNP depute leader Angus Robertson also announced his candidacy, saying that Edinburgh needs a new balance for its residents between over-tourism and climate crisis. He said :
“The part-time commitment of Tory MSP Ruth Davidson shows there is a real need for a full-time replacement. All recent election results in Edinburgh Central have shown it will take a committed candidate to win, which is why I am running for the SNP nomination.” Current MSP and former Tory Leader, Ruth Davidson, announced in August that she will not seek reelection in the constituency which she gained at the last Scottish Parliamentary election with just over 600 votes. She has since been tipped as one of the next members of the House of Lords.
Previously, this Holyrood seat was won by Marco Biagi for the SNP in 2011 and Labour’s Sarah Boyack in 1999.
Ms Cherry, who lives in the Edinburgh Central seat and has been a member of the local branch since 2008, said she spoke with fellow branch members in Edinburgh Central and members of Edinburgh South West and was strongly encouraged to seek the candidacy.
The Holyrood seat of Edinburgh Central overlaps with Ms Cherry’s current Westminster seat Edinburgh South West.
Ms Cherry says that since 2016 she and her office routinely deal with devolved constituency cases due to the indifference of Ruth Davidson and her failure to provide support and advice to her constituents.
The MP has confirmed that if she wins the nomination and election to Holyrood she would not serve a full term at Westminster and would seek to stand down as an MP to focus on Scotland, creating a Westminster by election.
Joanna Cherry said: “Edinburgh Central is my home branch, I have been a member there since 2008. I have lived in the constituency since 2002 and since 2015 I have been the MP for Edinburgh South West which covers a significant part of the Central seat including Gorgie, Dalry, Haymarket, Fountainbridge and part of Tollcross/Bruntsfield.
“I am very grateful to all the people who have approached me and encouraged me to put my hat in the ring when nominations open. Scotland must have the right to escape Boris Johnson's Brexit. We must have the right to choose our own future and we need a strategy to get us to that point of decision. With a large Tory majority across England the UK is set firmly on a hard Tory agenda for the next decade. Scotland will be completely ignored at Westminster. The movement for Scotland to be an independent European nation can only be realised at Holyrood and I want to offer my services where I think they can be of most use."
Maddy Kirkman is Labour candidate for Edinburgh Central. She tweeted her thoughts on the two SNP heavyweights and the prospective SNP contest : “Excuse me Joanna Cherry 2 months ago you were telling voters you’d be dedicated to them at Westminster and now you fancy being MSP for Edinburgh Central as well? We’ve had enough of absenteeism* from Ruth Davidson thanks. (*the London/Lords/PR thing not the maternity thing)."
Scottish Parliamentary Elections take place next year.