Former Labour MP Douglas Alexander Aims for Comeback in East Lothian Constituency
In 2015, Douglas Alexander, a former MP and minister in the Blair and Brown governments, lost his seat in the House of Commons to Mhairi Black of the SNP in Paisley and Renfrewshire South.
Now, nearly a decade later, Alexander is aiming for a comeback, running for the Labour Party in East Lothian, a key Labour target in Scotland.
He will be competing against Iain Whyte of the SNP to win the seat currently held by Kenny MacAskill, who defected from the SNP in 2021.
A general election is expected in the UK later this year, with the latest legal date being January 2025.
Over 100 MPs have announced they will not run for re-election, and new constituencies have been created due to boundary changes.
Among the prospective candidates seeking a comeback is Mr. Alexander, a former MP who had left politics to pursue an academic career.
He was approached by local party members in autumn 2022 and has since decided to run again, despite not missing the political game.
A former Scottish Labour politician, Ian Davidson, expresses his concern about the harshness of social media but decides to use it to help bring Labour back to power in Scotland and potentially in the UK government.
He has experience as a government minister and could contribute to Sir Keir Starmer's shadow cabinet if Labour wins the election.
However, his primary focus is on getting re-elected in East Lothian.