Ex-BBC man to fight Glasgow seat

A former BBC journalist looks certain to represent the SNP in the by-election sparked by the resignation of Commons speaker Michael Martin.

David Kerr, 35, will be the sole nominee at a new selection meeting for the Glasgow North East seat.

The previous SNP candidate stood down after questions were raised about whether he had broken charity law.

Labour branded the development an "embarrassing farce" but the SNP said Mr Kerr was an excellent nominee.

Mr Kerr, a former editor of Newsnight Scotland who more recently regularly appeared on Reporting Scotland, left the BBC to seek the SNP nomination for the seat.

Stood down

At the first selection meeting earlier this month, the local party voted by 17 votes to 12 to choose Glasgow City Council opposition leader James Dornan as the candidate.

Mr Dornan later withdrew after a newspaper questioned whether he had broken the law by holding a position with a charitable organisation, linked to the council, while using a protected trust deed to protect himself from creditors.

Paul Martin, Labour MSP for Glasgow Springburn, said: "Their members have been given no choice but to select a candidate they just rejected.

"Their candidate is forever tarnished as the man that Glasgow didn't want. This is the mother of all stitch-ups."

But SNP campaign director Stewart Hosie hit back, criticising Labour for its delay in naming a date for the election.

'Serious betrayal'

He said: "With David Kerr's nomination we have an excellent nominee who I know will work hard to represent people in the constituency.

"With strong connections to the constituency and a strong voice for constituents David will be an excellent leader for the campaign.

"Labour's decision to leave the people of Glasgow North East without an MP for up to five months is a serious betrayal."

The by-election follows Mr Martin's decision to stand down as an MP and Commons speaker, after criticism of his role during the MPs' expenses row.

Mr Kerr previously stood as an SNP candidate in the Falkirk West by-election of 2007.

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