A NEWLY-ELECTED councillor is aiming to work from Holyrood as well as John Muir House by becoming East Lothian’s MSP.

Craig Hoy won the Haddington and Lammermuir by-election in May to succeed Brian Small in representing Haddington and the surrounding villages on East Lothian Council.

Now the Conservative councillor has been named as the party’s East Lothian candidate for the Scottish Parliament elections in 2021.

The seat is currently held by Labour MSP Iain Gray.

Mr Hoy said: “I am very pleased to have been selected to be [Scottish Conservative leader] Ruth Davidson’s candidate for Holyrood in 2021.

“It’s an honour to represent Haddington and the Lammermuirs on East Lothian Council and I look forward to spending the coming two years serving the people in my ward while campaigning to underline why it’s only the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party which will defend the interests of everyone living across East Lothian.”

The candidate announcement was made last Monday at a packed meeting held in Gullane Village Hall.

The Conservatives’ Rachael Hamilton finished third in the Holyrood election in 2016 with just under 24 per cent of the vote. Mr Gray’s majority over second-placed DJ Johnston-Smith (SNP) was 1,127 votes.

Mr Hoy lives in Haddington and began his career in journalism, working for the BBC, before setting up several publications including Holyrood Magazine and launching his own business in Asia.

He added: “I have proven that I am a strong local voice who cares passionately about local issues. I will speak up for the people of East Lothian against the SNP’s mismanagement of our public services and the damaging policies of Scottish Labour.

“East Lothian is one of the fastest growing areas of Scotland and it is vital we enhance infrastructure, create jobs and deliver high-quality public services so that nobody is left behind. As a local resident, this will be my number one priority.”

But Mr Hoy’s “commitment” was questioned by Councillor Stuart Currie, the leader of the SNP Group on East Lothian Council.

Mr Currie posted on Twitter: “So within weeks of winning a council by-election this guy now wants to get elected to Parliament (unlikely) to cause another future by-election! That’s commitment for you!”

However, Mr Hoy stressed his intention to work “very hard” as ward councillor for the next two years ahead of the election and he added that he would remain as a councillor if elected as MSP.

He said: “My view about it is obviously I am focused on doing what I said I would do in the by-election.”

Tim Jackson, chairman of East Lothian Conservative and Unionist Association, said: “Craig has proven himself to be an excellent local campaigner and is proving to be an incredibly hardworking councillor.

“We are very pleased to have Craig as our candidate and look forward to working tirelessly with him.”

No other parties have yet named candidates for the 2021 Holyrood election.