THE Glasgow East MP Natalie McGarry has confirmed she will not stand for re-election.
Ms McGarry, who was elected for the SNP in 2015 but later suspended by the party, was charged last year over alleged fraud relating to the Women For Independence group and the SNP's Glasgow Regional Association.
The SNP hierarchy decided on Saturday not to endorse the 35-year-old as a candidate.
She could have stood for re-election as an Independent in June, a move which could have brought her a £2000 pay-off from the Commons, but yesterday ruled that out.
In a statement on her Facebook page, she said it had a “huge honour and privilege” to have served the people of Glasgow East for the past two years.
“I have, however, decided not to seek re-election and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many, many local people who have helped and supported me throughout that time.”
She added: “In the forthcoming election, I would encourage all the political parties and candidates to respect the electorate of Glasgow East and stay focused on what the people of this wonderful constituency need; an MP who opposes Tory austerity, who will fight the tax credit cap, including the pernicious Rape Clause, will stand against the savage cuts to our social security system and who will fight to bring more jobs and opportunities to the East End.”
The niece of former Holyrood Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick, Ms McGarry last week revealed she was pregnant with her first child after collapsing at Westminster.
The former SNP MP Michelle Thomson, who was suspended amid a police investigation into property deals last year, has also confirmed she will not stand again in Edinburgh West.
The SNP is now seeking candidates in both constituencies.
Meanwhile, voters in the Borders face a Holyrood by-election on the same day as the general election, after the Tory MSP John Lamont resigned his seat to stand for Westminster.
Mr Lamont, who was selected last week as the candidate for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk in June, announced he was quitting Holyrood to focus on the June 8 poll.
His decision leaves a vacancy in the overlapping Holyrood seat of Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, which he won by 7736 over the SNP in 2016.
With six women MSPs women, the Tories will be urged to field a female candidate in the byelection, while Mr Lamont’s SNP opponent last year, the energy minister Paul Wheelhouse, will be under pressure to resign as a list MSP and fight the contest.
In 2006, Mary Scanlon, a Tory list MSP in the Highlands & Islands, stood down to fight the Moray byelection.
Mr Lamont said it had been a privilege to serve the people of the Borders as an MSP for 10 years, but now wanted to do so as an MP.
He said: “This is one of the most important General Elections Scotland has ever had.
"In the Borders, it will be straight fight between myself and the SNP.
I have decided to stand down as an MSP to allow me to focus all of my energy on this important contest and to ensure the electorate have a clear choice between the contenders.
"With this decision, no one can doubt my commitment to representing the Borders.”
The SNP candidate in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk is MP Callum Kerr, who won the seat in 2015 with a majority of 328.
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