MEDIA consultant and journalist John Ferry is hoping to make the news at the forthcoming Election by beating David Mundell to the winning post in Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale.

The 40-year-old from Peebles is the local chairman of the Liberal Democrat party.

And he hopes he can gather enough support to challenge the Conservatives.

Mr Ferry said: "Make no mistake, we may well be appealing to the moderate, reasonable voter, but we must also recognise that we live in a new political era that pits open liberalism against closed nationalism.

“That is why I will be putting forward a muscular liberal argument that directly opposes both the nationalism that is leading us down the route of a damaging hard Brexit, and the nationalism that threatens to tear apart the UK, a situation that, if it materialises, would negatively impact the welfare and well-being of every single Scot.”

Following his selection as the Lib Dem candidate at the weekend Mr Ferry made a direct appeal to moderate voters who sided with the SNP in 2015.

The economics graduate added: "There are moderate voters in this constituency who are not strident nationalists and who supported the SNP in 2015 on the basis of wanting to see strong opposition to Toryism at Westminster.

"Well, that idea has been road-tested for two years and has been found wanting.

"The SNP at Westminster have achieved little more than media posturing, and they have demonstrated clearly that a party able to represent voters right across the UK is needed to effectively oppose Tory policies.”