Exclusive:Former Scottish Labour minister loses MSP selection contest in Scottish Parliament return bid
Alasdair Morrison - who served as the MSP for the Western Isles between 1999 and 2007 - was beaten by Callum George in the selection for Argyll and Bute.
A former Scottish Labour minister has lost in a contest to stand as an MSP candidate at next year’s Holyrood election.
Alasdair Morrison, who served as the MSP for the Western Isles between 1999 and 2007, was beaten by Callum George in the selection for Argyll and Bute.
Mr Morrison was deputy minister for Highlands and Islands and Gaelic, and in the early days of the Scottish Executive.
He was beaten by SNP candidate Alasdair Allan in 2007. Mr Allan has remained the MSP for the Western Isles since.
Mr Morrison stood as the Labour candidate for the Western Isles at the 2015 general election - but was beaten by then-sitting MP Angus MacNeil.
He had stood in the selection for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election earlier this year. That contest was narrowly won by now MSP Davy Russell after Mr Morrison encouraged members to back Mr Russell instead of himself.
Scottish Government health minister Jenni Minto is the incumbent MSP for Argyll and Bute. In 2021, she took 49.5 per cent of the vote. Labour finished fourth on 7.3 per cent.
Labour has never come higher than third in the constituency. The party did have a relatively strong showing in the Westminster seat of Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber last year.
It came third with 19.1 per cent of the vote, but was 765 votes behind the second-place Tories.
The SNP’s Brendan O’Hara retained the seat with a diminished 35 per cent of the vote
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