An SNP candidate has been replaced on the ballot in a key battleground seat just weeks before the country goes to the polls.

Iain Whyte was due to stand for the party in Lothian East, which is one of the seats being targeted by Labour on July 4.

However, his campaign page on Twitter has been deleted and the candidate for the seat is now Lyn Jardine, an East Lothian councillor.

An SNP source told the Daily Record that he had stepped down for health reasons.


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Ms Jardine said: "I am very excited to be confirmed as the SNP’s candidate for Lothian East and look forward to building on the work that Iain Whyte was leading. Iain continues to be an extremely valued member of Team SNP in East Lothian and has been for a decade or more.

"While I am still adjusting to the fact I'm now the candidate, I can’t wait to bring my own energy and commitment to our local communities to the campaign for Westminster.

“This is an opportunity to build on my reputation as a local public servant and demonstrate how I will put the people of East Lothian first as their SNP MP at Westminster.”

Lothian East, which has been renamed from East Lothian, went to Labour in the 2017 general election by just over 3,000 votes.

Two years later the SNP won it back, with Kenny MacAskill taking a majority of 3,886.

He has since defected to Alex Salmond's Alba Party and will not be standing for re-election in the seat in 2024.