Exclusive: Caithness Councillor Struan Mackie confirms if Douglas Ross wins his Westminster bid he will replace him at Holyrood
Exclusive: Caithness Councillor Struan Mackie has just confirmed he will take-up the Highland Holyrood seat if Douglas Ross wins his bid to return to Westminster.
Mr Ross is currently a Highland list MSP but is seeking election to the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat, if that happens he will vacate his seat in Holyrood.
That means the next candidate on the list for the Scottish Conservatives – which is Cllr Mackie – will take up the seat in Holyrood.
The widely respected councillor did not want to comment further on the move as he awaits the result of the Scottish Tory leaders vote.
Currently, Sky News is predicting that it is 99 per cent likely that it will be a Conservative hold so Cllr Mackie could soon be heading to Edinburgh.
He will be first Caithness local to serve in Holyrood since the SNP’s Gail Ross stood down in 2021.
