SNP reselects 54 MPs as General Election candidates with no place for Michelle Thomson and Natalie McGarry

THE SNP’s 54 MPs have been reselected as the party’s candidates in the general election.

The party will choose candidates for the remaining five Scottish constituencies by the end of the week, following consultation with local members.

Its national executive ruled on Saturday that Natalie McGarry and Michelle Thomson, who were elected as SNP MPs but now sit as independent members, are not eligible for reselection.

The party is also seeking candidates for the three Scottish seats it did not win in 2015.

The SNP’s national executive met in Glasgow on Saturday to decide the selection procedures for the snap ballot in June.

Candidates will be chosen for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, held by Conservative MP and Scottish Secretary David Mundell, the Orkney and Shetland seat of Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael, and Labour MP Ian Murray’s Edinburgh South seat.

Ms McGarry’s Glasgow East seat and Ms Thomson’s Edinburgh West seat will also be fought by new SNP candidates.

Ms Thomson has already confirmed she will not contest the election as an independent, and expressed disappointment with the party’s decision.

She released a statement shortly after being informed of the national executive’s decision.

“After careful consideration I have decided not to stand again at this time and I would encourage all the political parties to avoid personal smears and instead focus on what people really want to hear about,” she said.

© Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Ms McGarry was charged by the police last year over allegations of fraud relating to potential missing funds from the group Women For Independence, which was set up in the run-up to the 2014 Scottish referendum, and the SNP’s Glasgow Regional Association.

She also resigned the SNP whip in 2015, and has insisted there has been no wrongdoing on her part.

She tweeted: “Today’s decision by the SNP NEC was of no surprise to me. I’ll be making no statement. My focus remains with my constituents and staff.”

SNP depute leader and leader of the SNP at Westminster Angus Robertson said: “This general election is fundamental to what sort of country we want to be. We cannot let the Tories inflict deeper cuts and further austerity on Scotland.

“While the Tories are putting cynical party interests first, the SNP will always put Scotland first.

“SNP MPs have been the hardest working group at Westminster and, with Labour in complete disarray, the only real opposition to the Tory government.

“Over the coming weeks we will work harder than ever to retain the trust of people in every community across Scotland.

“Now more than ever Scotland needs strong SNP opposition to an emboldened Tory government who think they can do what they want to Scotland and get away with it.”