Jim McGovern withdraws bid to be re-elected as MP for Dundee West

Update: After McGovern’s sudden decision to quit (leaving the party only a few days to find a candidate), the party’s NEC have decided that the selection will be open to all candidates – and the candidate will be appointed by the NEC. Normally that might be called a “parachute” – but it’s hard to see anyone getting that label when taking the SNP on in a very tough fight…

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Jim McGovern has decided to withdraw his bid to be re-elected as the MP for Dundee West.

He has been the MP for the constituency since 2005 and it has been Labour-held since 1950. However, it does look as though there’s a very good chance it could go to the SNP in May; Ashcroft’s last poll had the nationalists 34 points ahead of Labour.

Although he has made this announcement only weeks before the election, McGovern explained in a statement that this was due to health concerns:

“Following health concerns at the latter end of 2014 and continuing into 2015 the medical recommendations I have received suggest that I should not stand for re-election to Parliament. Given my family’s concerns I have decided that I should accept those recommendations and therefore withdraw my nomination as Scottish Labour’s candidate for Dundee West.”

This leaves the party with just a handful of days to find a replacement candidate, with Better Together strategist (and Dundonian) one of the frontrunners for the super-quickfire selection process.