Labour selects Livingston by-election candidate

Friday, 26 August 2005 12:00 AM

Robin Cook's ex-election agent has been selected as Labour's candidate to fight the Livingston by-election caused by the sudden death of the former foreign secretary.

Mr Cook died after falling ill on a walking holiday in the Scottish hills on August 6th.

Unison official and close personal friend Jim Devine will defend Labour's majority of more than 13,000 votes.

Mr Devine was seen as the favourite for the post and had the backing of chancellor Gordon Brown.

Local party members picked his name from among five candidates in the West Lothian constituency.

Mr Devine won outright on the first ballot, securing 72 votes.

John Duncan, an executive with sportscotland and ex-aide to Mr Cook, won 32 votes.

Willie Dunn and John McGinty, both West Lothian councillors, secured 12 votes and six votes respectively.

Glasgow councillor Hanzala Malik won no votes.

Mr Devine said last night: "I am obviously delighted and honoured to be selected by my political peers.

"It is a great privilege to represent the community in which you were born and brought up. I will never, ever, be Robin Cook. But if I am successfully elected, people can at least say that I laced his boots."

The 52-year old was Mr Cook's election agent since the 1983 general election and held key positions in the Labour party in Scotland.

The Scottish National Party will announce their candidate on Friday.

No date has yet been set for the by-election.

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