Published: Thursday, 2nd July, 2009 8:30am

Lib-Dem stunner

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EAST Lothian Liberal Democrats have been plunged into turmoil just months from the next General Election, after sole nominee Stuart Currie"s shock decision to refuse the Westminster candidacy.

Councillor Currie, the depute leader of East Lothian Council, has also resigned as local Lib-Dem convenor and may quit the party altogether. He claims he feels compelled to take a moral stance in the wake of the MPs" expenses scandal.

'More and more details about the MPs" expenses are coming out every day,' he exclusively told the Courier before leaving for his annual holiday. 'When you start to see the names of people from your own party emerging from the woodwork you start to think to yourself – can I really stand and share a platform with these people?'

Refusing to name names, he added: 'It"s frankly amazing some of the claims that have been made by MPs within the Lib-Dems. Just because these claims are within the rules does not mean that they are right or can be justified.'

Mr Currie dropped his bombshell in an email to constituency vice-convenor Judy Riley last week. The crisis topped the agenda at Monday"s scheduled meeting of the constituency executive in Haddington.

In a terse statement issued on Tuesday, Ms Riley, who has taken over as acting party convenor, said: 'We are saddened by Stuart Currie"s decision. The Liberal Democrats in East Lothian will continue to work hard to reverse years of decline under Labour'.

Although Mr Currie, the only East Lothian councillor to publish his own expense claims ahead of the local authority"s official release of figures, has cited the present culture of sleaze surrounding MPs for pulling out of the race to the Commons, other factors appear to have influenced his decision.

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The Courier understands that 14 party members voted against him at a final selection meeting. According to a source, Mr Currie is said to have told the party he would be reluctant to accept the nomination unless he had 100 per cent support.

In April, the party was rocked when Amy Rodger quit as its Westminster candidate, citing 'personal and professional reasons'.

Mr Currie, who was elected convenor at the 2008 annual general meeting in succession to Ms Riley, subsequently emerged as the favourite to become Westminster candidate.

The latest developments have also stunned party members. South of Scotland MSP Jim Hume admitted: 'It"s disappointing, but he"s obviously got his own reasons.

'I don"t think this has damaged our chances of success at the next General Election. Labour is is disarray, whereas the Liberal Democrats membership in East Lothian remains strong and united.'

Another party stalwart, Judy Hayman, said: 'I don"t know why he has chosen to do this. We would not have wished this to happen and now we must find another candidate to take on Labour.'

Mr Currie, the ward member for Preston/Seton/Gosford, is believed to be considering leaving the Lib-Dems to become an independent councillor after suffering a bitter backlash from certain party members, unhappy at his decision.

He insisted that any decision to leave the Lib-Dems would have no impact on the local authority"s administration, stating all 13 coalition councillors had pledged to fulfil the council"s key policy document "Our Contract with the People", regardless of political affiliation.

Labour"s Anne Moffat, who recorded a 6,000 plus majority at the 2005 General Election, said: 'I don"t think MPs" expenses was the real reason.

'If Stuart Currie wants to clean up politics the best way to do it is from the inside.

'I think there will be a battle for second place in East Lothian at the election, but the Lib-Dems have not done themselves any favours by losing a second candidate at this stage.'

Conservative candidate Michael Veitch said: 'The local Lib-Dems are already in crisis following their humiliation in the European Election. To lose one candidate is careless, to lose a second is a disaster.'

And the SNP"s Andrew Sharp added: 'Something has obviously gone seriously wrong within the Lib-Dems.'