FORMER North-east MP and Tory candidate David Duguid has claimed he would have won the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency from his hospital bed.
The ex-Banff and Buchan MP was deselected for standing in the newly created constituency in the eleventh hour by Scottish Tory party leader Douglas Ross.
Polls now suggest that the seat may now turn yellow, with the SNP rumoured to be targeting it as a potential scalp on July 4.
The party has reportedly upgraded the seat to a “tier one” target, meaning they will pour additional resources into it.
Mr Duguid, who has provided regular updates about his recovery on X, said he was “as sharp as a tack” and “truly up for the campaign”.
Quoting a message he’d been sent, he added: “I think if we are all being honest with ourselves with the strong team behind him he would have retained his seat even from his hospital bed”.
Since being selected as the new candidate for the constituency, Mr Ross has announced he will stand down as party leader following July’s election.
Should he win next month, he would also forfeit his role as Highlands and Islands MSP, though he’ll maintain his Holyrood job should he lose the Westminster election.
