EAST Lothian's MP will not be standing for the county at the next General Election – but one of his predecessors as the county's MP will do so in his place.

In an announcement today, Kenny MacAskill (ALBA) announced that, instead of attempting to defend the East Lothian seat he won in 2019 while a member of the SNP, he will be standing in Alloa and Grangemouth.

Standing as the ALBA candidate for the new Lothian East seat – which includes the majority of East Lothian except the western part of Musselburgh – will be George Kerevan, who was East Lothian MP between 2015 and 2017, when he represented the SNP.

Mr MacAskill – who switched from the SNP to ALBA in 2021 – is standing in Grangemouth on a platform of attempting to save Grangemouth Refinery from closure.

He said: “The closure of Grangemouth is the industrial issue of our age. It is time to make a stand about the nation we were, the nation we can be, and the nation we will be."

And he told the Courier it had been “an honour and a privilege to represent East Lothian since 2019”.

Meanwhile, Mr Kerevan, who also switched parties in 2021, said: “Kenny MacAskill deserves much credit for the work he has done in the constituency.

"ALBA are now the only party with a credible strategy to deliver independence. When we get a majority we must not go to London and say ‘please’.

“If Westminster says ‘No’ then, as we have unleashed Scottish sovereignty at the ballot box, we say that the people of Scotland have expressed their vote, they’ve expressed their sovereignty and then we will take our independence.”

Mr Kerevan is the fifth candidate so far confirmed to be standing for election in the Lothian East constituency at the next General Election, which is expected to take place later this year.

Also confirmed so far are Douglas Alexander (Labour), Robert Davies (Reform UK), Shona McIntosh (Greens) and Iain Whyte (SNP).