By-election in Scotland following Tavish Scott’s resignation
Former leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats (2008-11) Tavish Scott is standing down as an MSP to take up a new role at Scottish Rugby. He will be the new head of external affairs.
He is the MSP for Shetland, winning 67% of the vote in the last Scottish Parliament elections in 2016.
The BBC reports:
Mr Scott was a Shetland Islands councillor before he was elected to Holyrood, and is one of only five MSPs who have represented the same constituency seat continuously since the parliament was set up in 1999.
He said it had been “an enormous privilege and honour” to have served the islands for 20 years, adding: “There have been many highlights, wonderful moments and intense political drama that I would not have missed for anything.
“I leave the Liberal Democrats at an exciting time in the party’s development. There have been excellent recent results in the recent European elections, improved poll ratings and there is genuine optimism about the future for the party.”
UPDATE: Beatrice Wishart has been selected by the Lib Dems to fight the by-election.
Why is he leaving the Liberal Democrats as well as Holyrood? Does the new job require it?
V possibly; the post is high profile and ‘externally facing’. Or he may well consider that to do the job well he should leave the party for the time being. I doubt if there is anything sinister about his departure.