Tom Wills to stand for SNP in next year’s Holyrood election

Tom Wills is to stand as SNP candidate in next year’s Holyrood elections.

Mr Wills has described standing as a “privilege and a serious responsibility”.

Mr Wills made the announcement online after discovering he was the only applicant up for selection as the SNP’s Holyrood 2021 candidate here in the isles. He called on the party faithful to offer him their support.

The 2021 campaign will mark his second attempt at being elected to the Scottish parliament.

In 2019 he came second place against Beatrice Wishart, who was standing for the Liberal Democrats following the departure from politics of long-standing MSP Tavish Scott.

Last year Mr Wills helped his party gain its best ever result in the isles, increasing its vote share by 40 per cent.

“With the support of our team of hard working branch members and volunteers, we can get over the line this time and return Shetland’s first SNP MSP.”

Mr Wills stressed the UK economy was fundamentally unbalanced and unfair.

He added: “This election is a choice of two futures: a Scotland shackled to an increasingly right wing, inward looking Brexit Britain, or a self governing Scotland charting its own path as a progressive European nation.

“This is a great privilege and a serious responsibility,” he said. “Shetland needs positive change, now more than ever.”

Addressing party supporters he said: “If we work together we can turn the tide in Shetland.”

The SNP launched an assault against the Lib Dems during last year’s campaign. But Ms Wishart’s party maintained its dominance in isles politics, gaining almost 48 per cent of the vote.

But Mr Wills was also in a celebratory mood, coming ahead of Conservative, Green and independent candidates by a significant margin.