A LOCAL businessman and a secondary school chemistry teacher have put their names forward as the first candidates to succeed the late Willie Innes as a councillor for the Preston Seton Gosford ward.

Mr Innes (Labour), leader of East Lothian Council, passed away last month.

Although the East Lothian Council elections – which will see all councillor positions filled – are scheduled to take place as soon as May 5 next year, a by-election is required by law to take place to fill Mr Innes’ seat.

It will be held on Thursday, January 20, next year.

The Preston Seton Gosford ward has a total of four councillors, with the other three positions held by Lachlan Bruce (Conservative), Neil Gilbert (SNP) and Fiona O’Donnell (Labour).

Now the race to join them on the council has begun, and throwing their hat into the ring so far are Calum Miller (independent) and Colin Yorkston (Labour), with more candidates expected to join them in the running for the seat in the coming weeks.

Calum Miller, 53, who lives in Prestonpans with his wife Suzanne, has run his firm Millersoft in Musselburgh for 25 years.

A member of Prestonpans Community Council, he launched his election campaign by accusing the local authority of missing out on a £16million cash pot by failing to create a port at the site of the former Cockenzie Power Station.

He claimed that the council, which bought the site from ScottishPower in 2018, should have cashed in on its potential as a port by now.

Mr Miller said that he had “great respect” for Mr Innes, who “was part of a great Labour Party generation that removed class as a barrier to success in politics”.

But he added: “However, I’ve become increasingly frustrated with the lack of activity on the economic front in East Lothian.

“Over the last few years, I’ve been researching and promoting a new port at Prestonlinks on the old Cockenzie Power Station site. In my 25 years of running a company, I’ve never seen such a wasted asset.

“In the first nine months of this year, the Port of Tallinn, in Estonia, reported a €19million profit.

“That’s the kind of money that could be generated at Prestonlinks and flowing into the coffers of East Lothian Council.”

It was his view that the council was “embarrassed by the potential and terrified at the thought of having to do something”.

He added: “Well, I’ve lost patience with their prevarication and endless petty excuses. If they won’t move on the port, or another serious alternative, then I’ll move on them.”

Meanwhile, East Lothian Labour Party has chosen Colin Yorkston as its candidate for the by-election.

Mr Yorkston, who was brought up and currently lives in Prestonpans with his wife Dawn, a nurse, is an active member of the EIS teaching union and formerly a member of the parent council at Preston Tower Primary School, and former chairman of Preston Lodge High School Parent Council.

Additionally, he is a trustee of the Preston Lodge Learning Foundation.

He was the agent for the Labour candidates in the Preston Seton Gosford ward at the last local elections in 2017 and has been chair of East Lothian Labour Party since 2018.

Mr Yorkston, a chemistry teacher at Holy Rood High School, Edinburgh, said: “I’m delighted to have been chosen as the Scottish Labour and Co-operative Party candidate in this by-election.

“This is not an election anyone wanted, following the sad death of Willie Innes.

“He was Prestonpans’ greatest champion, a wonderful advocate for this ward and someone that I was privileged to work with and to call a friend.

“While I can never hope to replace Willie and what he meant to this area, I will be guided by the same Labour values that drove his work as a councillor and demonstrate the same dedication he showed to the people and communities that make up this ward.

“I’m honoured to have been entrusted with the job of being our candidate and will give it my all in the weeks ahead.”

No other parties have yet announced candidates.

Council elections use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, where voters can rank candidates in order of preference.