SCOTTISH TORIES ARE REVOLTING

» Ross shoving poorly Duguid aside to stand horrifies his colleagues »Labour say the U-turn proves his party are 'morally bankrupt

- PAIL HUTCHEON

A SCOTS Tory candidate ditched and replaced by Douglas Ross while he lay ill in hospital has denied party bosses' claims he is unable to contest the seat.

David Duguid, who is recovering from a serious spinal condition, said his party is "incorrect" to say he is too ill to go for Westminster again.

Party leader Ross now faces a revolt by MSPs for securing the candidacy for himself after promising not to stand for Westminster.

Duguid, an MP since 2017, was told by the party's management board he would not be the candidate in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.

He is currently a patient at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

The party said he is not well enough to stand as a candidate but Duguid tweeted: "I must clear up a factual inaccuracy.

"It has been reported and repeated that I am 'unable to stand'. This is simply incorrect.

"Having been adopted by local members, I was very much looking forward to campaigning - albeit in a different format from normal. It was not my decision not to stand."

He said it was the management board that "decided not to allow me to be the candidate, although none of them had visited me".