THE woman at the centre of one of the SNP’s most famous scandals is attempting to replace her lover-turned-husband as an MP.

Serena Cowdy, who had affairs with two married SNP MPs, has put her self forward for the party’s candidacy in the new Arbroath and Broughty Ferry constituency.

The seat is the successor to Dundee East, which is currently held by her husband Stewart Hoise, but is being redrawn by boundary changes.

Mr Hosie announced in June that he intends to stand down at the coming general election after almost 20 years at Westminster.

Ms Cowdy was elected as a SNP councillor in the Arboath West ward in Angus last year.

In 2016, Ms Cowdy made headlines after it emerged she was at the heart of a Westminster “love triangle” and was having an affair with Mr Hosie, who was then SNP deputy leader.

That led to him quitting the party position and separating from his then wife, the SNP MSP Shona Robison, who is now deputy first minister. 

In his resignation letter to Nicola Sturgeon, he apologised for “any hurt and upset I have caused to friends, family and colleagues".

It also emerged that Ms Cowdy, a former actress and political blogger, had been in a previous relationship with Angus Brendan MacNeil, the SNP MP for the Western Isles.

She reportedly described Nationalist MPs as the "sexy Mujahideen of British politics".

Mr MacNeil separated from his wife Jane in 2015 and they divorced in 2020.

Mr Hosie, 60, went on to marry Ms Cowdy, 43, in August 2018. 

Ms Cowdy’s entry into the SNP selection for the Abroath and Broughty Ferry seat was reported today by the Courier newspaper.

Her main rival for the nomination is seen as Dundee councillor Lynne Short, who was the first person to put themselves forward after Ms Hosie announced he was standing down.

Cllr Short is an ally of the SNP leader of Dundee City Council John Alexander and works for Dundee City West MSP Joe FitzPatrick.

However she sparked controversy in January when she linked opposition to gender self-ID to Auschwitz at a pro trans rally in Dundee and later apologised for causing offence.