Minister pans Labour for 'shipping in' London councillor to run in Highlands
Labour have selected Eva Kestner to contest the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross seat next year despite her living around 650 miles away in Lewisham, where she works as a councillor.
It is the second time Anas Sarwar's party have selected her as a candidate for the area, after she ran in the General Election last year for the equivalent Westminster constituency.
Public Health Minister Maree Todd, who currently represents the area for the SNP, said the area did not deserve to be represented by "more of the Prime Minister's cronies".
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She said: "Given Labour's disastrous start in Government, it's no surprise that no one from Caithness, Sutherland and Ross is willing to back Keir Starmer as a local Labour candidate.
'Labour has form on shipping London-based candidates in to Scotland, and it's no wonder.
"Labour is pulling out all the stops to support industry in England, but offering nothing for Scotland - particularly for my constituents in the Highlands.
'The people of the Highlands deserve real local champions – not more of the Prime Minister's cronies.'
The selection of Kestner by Sarwar's party came in for heavy criticism on social media.
Andrea Cowan, an SNP councillor in Rutherglen, questioned how the selection was acceptable after Scottish Labour accused the SNP of "parachuting" in Katy Loudon to contest the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.
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Loudon does not live in the constituency but does stay just over the border in Rutherglen. She is hoping to keep the seat in SNP hands following the tragic death of Christina McKelvie last month.
Cowan said on Twitter/X: "So, let's get this straight, a councillor from Lewisham, 650 miles from Caithness, is fine to stand for Labour in next year's Holyrood elections, but an experienced councillor from South Lanarkshire, standing in Hamilton is being parachuted in?"
Last year, Labour were accused of "parachuting in paper candidates" as Kestner was among a raft of General Election picks based south of the Border.
After Wilma Brown was removed as a candidate in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath following an outcry over "racist" social media posts, Melanie Ward ran in her place despite living in London.
The party's candidate in Angus and Perthshire Glens was Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, who was a councillor based more than 500 miles away in the city of Canterbury, in Kent.
Some of the other candidates from south of the Border who ran for Labour last year include Conor Savage who was selected to contest Orkney and Shetland despite living in Edinburgh. He previously stood in Bangor for Plaid Cymru.
After being asked by The National why a London councillor had been chosen to run in the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross seat, a Scottish Labour spokesperson said Kestner grew up in Scotland and had previously worked in the Highlands and Islands.
They said: 'The SNP has failed the Highlands and Islands for too long, but in 2026 we can choose a change in direction with Scottish Labour.
'All Scottish Labour candidates are democratically selected by local members and this candidates will be a fantastic champion for the communities where she is standing.'
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