Labour’s Douglas Alexander unseated by 20-year-old student

May 08 2015
Written by Nick Duffy

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander has been unseated by a 20-year-old student who was standing for the SNP.

Douglas Alexander, who played a key role in his party’s Shadow Cabinet, saw his vote decimated by the Scottish National Party.

Mr Alexander previously held a massive majority of 59.6%, above the SNP’s 18.1% – but was a victim of a monumental swing to the SNP in Scotland.

Mhari Black, who is now set to become the youngest MP since 1667, received 23,548 votes (50.9%), over Mr Alexander’s 17,864 votes (38.6%).

Mr Alexander previously called on the Conservatives to take a tougher stance on LGBT rights in foreign policy – urging David Cameron to challenge Russia’s Vladimir Putin over his anti-gay laws.

Writing for PinkNews in 2013, he wrote: “David Cameron needs to press President Putin on this as a matter of urgency.

“It is vital that Britain (…) make clear their opposition to the blatant and unacceptable discrimination against homosexuals, not just because of what it means for one community within Russia, but because of what it says about Russia as a country and the direction that it today seems to be heading in.

PinkNews election coverage is generously supported by KPMG.