Scottish National Party (SNP) members in the Lothian East region are invited from  tomorrow to vote for their preferred candidate to represent the party in its bid to win the new Lothian East seat at Westminster.

Party members have until October 12 to pick either Rob Connell, from Edinburgh, or Iain Whyte, from Musselburgh.

Mr Connell, a primary school teacher in Edinburgh, has been an active member of the SNP for 15 years, working as a local vice convenor, campaign organiser and political education officer, all voluntary roles.

Mr Whyte, a former Musselburgh Grammar School student, lives in Prestonpans and stood as an SNP candidate for the local council elections in 2022, when he missed out on being voted a councillor for the Musselburgh ward. He also served as an office manager for former South Scotland MSP Paul Wheelhouse.

Party members will be invited to in-person hustings with both candidates on Monday at 7.30pm in St Andrew Blackadder Church Hall, North Berwick, and Wednesday at 7.30pm at The Fraser Centre, Tranent.

The only other confirmed candidate for the seat so far is Labour’s Douglas Alexander.

In June, the Boundary Commission for Scotland announced that the East Lothian seat at Westminster would now be called Lothian East.

The vast majority of the county will fall under the new UK Parliament constituency, while the western half of Musselburgh – including the majority of the town centre – will join a new Edinburgh East and Musselburgh constituency.