Christine Jardine will not seek re-election in Edinburgh West

Christine Jardine will not seek re-election as the Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Edinburgh West at the next general election, and says she will not ask party members to vote on her selection. Jardine said she made the decision after a recent local-party decision and wanted to avoid further tension and division. In a statement, Jardine said she could have requested a membership ballot but had decided not to pursue one. She said she did not want to expose people to more conflict and would continue representing her constituents until the next election. The reports do not establish the precise form of the local party’s decision: accounts describe it as a failure to reselect her, while her statement refers to a recent decision by some of the local party. Jardine, 65, told interviewers that party members had raised her age and that she considered the opinions sexist. She said the issue contributed to tension. Her account of the age concerns was reported alongside claims from people close to her that she was being pushed aside in favour of another potential candidate. Those claims are disputed.