AN SNP candidate has suddenly been replaced in a key General Election battleground seat at the 11th hour.
Iain Whyte was announced in October as the party's candidate for the Lothian East seat, which is also being contested by former Labour MP Douglas Alexander for Keir Starmer's party.
But Whyte - who lives in Prestonpans and is a former SNP council candidate - has now been replaced East Lothian councillor Lyn Jardine, with his campaign Twitter account no longer available.
Jardine's Twitter account confirmed the change.
An SNP source told the Daily Record he had stepped back for health reasons. The party has been approached for further comment.
Politicians can get a bad wrap. We all come to our purpose in different ways. I’ve come to mine through a working life and volunteering that serves others. I’ve consistently been encouraged by others to stand for office. /1 pic.twitter.com/g6w5xuDKVS
— Lyn Jardine for Lothian East (@LynJardineSNP) May 27, 2024
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.”
