THE senior Labour backroom figure who headed up the pro-UK campaign in the Scottish independence referendum is expected to be named as a candidate for the party in the General Election, The Herald understands.
Sources have said Blair McDougall will be Labour's candidate in East Renfrewshire on June 8. Mr McDougall, the campaign director for Better Together during its two years, will attempt to reclaim the seat lost by Jim Murphy to the SNP in 2015.
Mr McDougall, who ran David Miliband's unsuccessful Labour leadership campaign, had an advisory role in Mr Murphy's short stint as Scottish Labour leader.
Another candidate expected to be named if Rhea Wolfson, a member of Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) having been supported by the internal leftist campaign group Momentum.
Ironically, Ms Wolfson had been unsuccessful in seeking nomination for the role from her own branch, East Renfrewshire, following the intervention of Mr Murphy.
She will stand in Livingston against Hannah Bardell of the new SNP MPs.
Cara Hilton, who won a by-election to become Dunfermline MSP before losing her seat in 2016 is tipped to stand in the town.
Others The Herald understands will be named as candidates are prominent community and party activist Paul Sweeney, who stand in Glasgow North East, departing city councillor James Adams, who will fight in Glasgow North, and background operator and former aide to Doug;las Alexander, Kate Watson. She will stand in the Glasgow East seat vacated by the outgoing Natalie McGarry, where she is likely to be up against local SNP stalwart David Linden.
Matt Kerr, who has held a number of senior position on Glasgow City Council in recent years and is again a candidate for the authority next week, will contest the Glasgow South West seat against the SNP's Chris Stephens.
The Herald has attempted to contact Mr McDougall but he is so far unavailable.
But one source said: "Nothing's been confirmed yet but as regards East Ren we are hoping for local boy with strong backing in the Constituency Labour Party."
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