EXCLUSIVE
GORDON Wilson, former leader of the SNP, has launched himself on a political comeback. He confirmed yesterday that he intends to stand for the European Parliament.
But he denied that his fundamentalist line against the Nationalists embracing devolution would embarrass the leadership of Alex Salmond. Mr Wilson told The Herald: ''All that is history now. I get on quite well with Alex - we rarely ever came to fisticuffs.''
Now 60 and a grandfather, the man who led the SNP for 11 years until 1990 and who is credited with inventing the Nationalists' most successful election slogan It's Scotland's Oil, has had his name accepted for the list of approved
party candidates - the first step on the road back to public life.
He is expected to be joined in the contest for selection by Neil MacCormick, regius professor of public law at Edinburgh University, another veteran campaigner who has stood several times without success as an SNP candidate in General Elections.
The clear favourite for the top spot in the SNP list for the Euro-elections is
deputy leader Dr Allan Macartney, currently Euro-MP for North East Scotland, who announced formally yesterday that he was seeking re-election. His adoption
will be a formality.
The Euro-elections will be held a month after the Scottish Parliament
elections
next year and will be conducted by proportional representation for the first time. Scotland will become one Euro-constituency with eight seats under Government plans announced recently.
SNP president Winnie Ewing's decision to leave the European Parliament - where
she is the longest-serving British Member and known as Madame Ecosse - and to seek election to the Scottish Parliament means the Nationalists are now under pressure from aspiring women Euro-candidates who are concerned that three men are in the running for the top three spots on the party list.
The SNP expects to win three, perhaps more, of the eight Euro-seats if recent high ratings in the opinion polls continue. At present the party holds two of the eight and Labour six. The new electoral system has given fresh hope to the
Scottish Tories and Liberal Democrats of gaining representation in Strasbourg but they would probably win only one seat each at most.
Mr Wilson, who was a Westminster MP for 13 years, has spent recent years working in his legal practice in Dundee but says now he is bored
professionally
but ''revived and refreshed'' by becoming a grandfather. Of his relationship with Mr Salmond, he said: ''It is just a fact of political life that every convener of the SNP is compared with his predecessor.''
Mr Wilson and Professor MacCormick have several hurdles to overcome before winning selection. They must find nomination by an existing Euro-seat constituency and then get themselves selected. At that point they will - crucially - be ranked on the party list and must be in the top three to have a
realistic chance of election.
The SNP conference next month will decide how ranking is to be carried out and
how it can promote women on the list.
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