While Douglas Alexander makes his triumphant return as Labour’s candidate in East Lothian, Scottish Labour’s shortlist for the Glasgow South West seat has sent the far-left into yet another furious tailspin. According to the Herald, left-wing Glasgow City Councillor Matt Kerr failed the party’s vetting process… despite being the candidate in 2017 and 2019. The other main contender, Dr Zubir Ahmed, happens to be an old schoolmate of Anas Sarwar…

The vetting panel is chaired by Deputy Scottish Labour leader Jackie Baillie, who defeated Kerr for the deputy leadership in 2020. The four-person panel unanimously rejected Kerr, allegedly on the grounds that he’d previously refused to vote with the Labour whip on the city’s council budget. His comrades are nonetheless calling foul play, pointing out he was permitted to stand as a Labour council candidate last year, and won re-election. Turns out that doesn’t cut the mustard…

Kerr will have to sit it out this evening as the final candidate is chosen. Sarwar’s pal Dr Ahmed is the frontrunner, despite failing to get elected to Holyrood in 2021…