A leading newspaper journalist has revealed his ambition to be elected as the MSP for Ayr.
Richard Walker, editor of the Sunday National and founding editor of The National newspaper, has thrown his hat into the ring to win the SNP’s nomination in Ayr.
The constituency has been held by the Tory MSP John Scott since the year 2000, but Walker hopes to clinch the seat for the SNP for the first time in May.
Walker was born within the constituency, in Troon, and has worked in newspapers for 40 years. He started out working for local papers in Ayrshire before pursuing a long and successful career on national titles.
In a post on Twitter, Walker said: "Friends, neighbours, fellow @theSNP members, I'm delighted to announce that I am on the selection ballot for Ayr Constituency. I ignored the project fear narrative by bringing Sunday Herald out for #YES. I'll be as courageous for the people of Ayr as we move towards #IndyRef2"
Walker, who has three grown-up children and lives in Ayr, told The National : “I have been campaigning for independence since before the 2014 referendum bringing the Sunday Herald for Yes and founding The National and The Sunday National.
“I believe I have a lot of ideas, experience and skills which I would like to put at the disposal of the SNP and the wider Yes movement.”
He said with the prospect of a second referendum in the next Holyrood term he wanted to play an active role in a new campaign from “a different angle”.
He added: “I think we will see Scotland become independent following a second referendum. What better prospect than to be part of a parliament which helps to shape the new Scotland once independence is won?”
“I want to see a Scotland that can take the best decisions for the people who live here and a Scotland that isn’t beholden to a Conservative majority at Westminster that it has not voted for.”
From today, Walker will be stepping aside from his duties at the Sunday National which will be edited by The National and Glasgow Times editor Callum Baird over the coming weeks.
Ayr is a key target seat for the SNP in 2021. Scott won the seat for the Tories in the first ever Scottish Parliament by-election in March 2000 and has held it since.
He re-took the constituency in 2016 with a majority of just 750 votes ahead of the second placed SNP.
The other SNP candidates in the Ayr are Richard Arkless, former MP for Dumfries and Galloway; Siobhian Brown, South Ayrshire councillor; Jahangir Hanif, former Glasgow councillor; Gavin Lundy, a former convener of Young Scots for Independence and Annie McIndoe, convener of the Troon branch of the SNP.
