A former SNP Westminster frontbencher has been selected to fight the next general election in a new constituency in Angus and Tayside.
Stephen Gethins will contest the newly former Arbroath and Broughty Ferry seat when the next UK general is held, no later than January 2025.
Meanwhile, a candidate that the outgoing deputy Westminster leader of the party Mhairi Black threatened to quit over his failure to pass vetting, has lost out on his chance to replace her.
The SNP has confirmed eight candidates who will stand for the party in the upcoming election.
Mr Gethins is a professor of international relations at St Andrew’s University.
He was first elected in the North East Fife constituency in 2015, taking the seat previously held by former Liberal Democrat leader Ming Campbell.
Read more: SNP 'secret civil war' erupts in Glasgow selection battle
Mr Gethins famously held his seat by just two votes in the 2017 general election, with his majority cut from the 4,344 he secured in 2015.
But the LibDems took the seat from Mr Gethins at the 2019 general election, with Wendy Chamberlain responsible for the SNP’s only loss.
Mr Gethins, a former special adviser to former first minister Alex Salmond, was the SNP’s Westminster spokesperson for international affairs and Europe from 2017 to 2019.
In a campaign video released as he set out his bid to be selected, Mr Gethins admitted that “it’s been a tough time for our party”, adding that “we’ve had some challenges over the past wee while”.
He added: “And I don’t think we should pretend that we haven’t.”
Mr Gethins said making the case for independence was “more important now than ever before”.
Read more: Mhairi Black in 'blackmail' row with SNP over successor
He added: “It doesn’t matter if you have a red government or a blue government, you’re going to have a Brexit government.
“And that’s why we know Brexit is delivering on support for independence.
“I want to be the last MP for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry down at Westminster but until we’ve gained that independence and continue to make the case for independence, that place is going to count – and we need experienced candidates, candidates who can hit the ground running on day one.”
The SNP has also selected Lucy Beattie to contest the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross seat, Annie McIndoe will battle for Central Ayrshire following Phillipa Whitford’s decision to step down and Brian Goodall has been selected for the new Dunfermline and Dollar seat.
Read more: SNP East Kilbride selection mired in bullying allegations
John Beare will be the SNP candidate in Glenrothes after Peter Grant announced he will not stand, Ross Clark with compete in the new Hamilton and Clyde Valley seat and Jacqueline Cameron will try to win Ms Black’s Paisley and Renfrewshire South seat after the SNP Westminster deputy announced she won’t be seeking re-election.
Ms Cameron secured selection despite reports Ms Black threatened to quit the party on the eve of the doomed Rutherglen by-election if her staffer Robert Innes was not allowed to be put forward to contest the selection to replace her, despite failing vetting and losing a subsequent appeal.
SNP policy convener Tony Giugliano has been selected to contest the Falkirk seat at the general election, with John McNally, who has held the seat for the SNP since 2015, stepping down.
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