Scottish Labour London MSP hopeful squirms in 'paper candidate' grilling
The National asked Lewisham councillor Eva Kestner about her bid to become the MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross outside a local authority meeting in south London on Wednesday evening.
Asked whether she was a paper candidate, Kestner said: 'No, I'm not.'.
Kestner insisted she would 'absolutely' move to the constituency, which is 650 miles away from the English capital, and claimed to have 'lots of connections' to the Highland seat.
Arguing that the biggest issues facing the area were 'access to healthcare' and the 'dire' transport connections, the London Labour councillor added: 'I am a serious candidate that seriously believes in that area.
'I have lots of connections.'
Pressed on her links to Caithness, Kestner replied: 'I worked for MSPs up there for a really long time, that's where I started my political journey.'
In response to mockery that her desired seat is hundreds of miles away from her home, she said: 'I mean, it is what it is.'
Kestner is among a raft of candidates who have been accused of being 'parachuted' into seats, with a row breaking out about the SNP's candidate in the Hamilton by-election not living in the constituency.
Katy Loudon, who is running to defend the seat after the death of SNP minister Christina McKelvie, lives in nearby Rutherglen.
Kestner ran for the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross seat at last year's General Election, but lost to LibDem Jamie Stone. She came third on 3409 votes, with Stone holding a majority of more than 10,000 votes.
At the last Scottish Parliament election in 2021, the Holyrood Caithness seat was won by the SNP's Maree Todd, who had a 2000 vote majority over her LibDem rival. Labour came fourth in the seat, picking up just 2016 votes.
Anas Sarwar's party were predicted in a poll published earlier this week to languish in third place after next year's Scottish Parliament elections.
Scottish Labour were predicted to gain just 18 seats in a poll conducted by Survation for True North Advisers, which also put Reform on course to become the second-largest Holyrood party with 21 seats.
The same poll said there would be a Yes majority in 2026, with 66 pro-independence MSPs elected.
The upcoming Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election is being viewed as a key test ahead of next year's election on the question of whether Labour can translate their Scottish General Election victories into Holyrood success or whether the SNP could secure another five years in power.
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