FOUR female candidates have been declared for the Scottish Parliamentary by-election in Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire on June 8.

The by-election has been called following the resignation as a constituency MSP of Tory incumbent John Lamont who had a 7,736 majority over SNP rival Paul Wheelhouse in 2016.

Mr Lamont has Westminster aspirations and will now seek to oust the SNP’s Calum Kerr MP in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk at the General Election on the same date.

Defending the Holyrood seat for the Tories is Rachael Hamilton who was elected as a South of Scotland list MSP in 2016 but has also resigned in a bid to win the constituency mandate.

Mrs Hamilton, who was her party’s spokesperson on tourism and small business during her tenure, was the agent for the Scottish Conservatives in the Borders from 2002.

She and her husband Billy own the Buccleuch Arms in St Boswells.

The SNP has put up Gail Hendry – sister of former First Minister Alec Salmond – to fight the seat.

A lecturer at Borders College who lives in Hawick, Ms Hendry is convener of her party’s constituency association and was the agent and campaign co-ordinator for Calum Kerr at the 2015 General Election.

Announcing her candidature, Ms Hendry stated: “I believe this area would benefit from having an SNP representative at Holyrood who can command the attention of ministers when requesting more investment.

“The Tories have an appalling record in cutting expenditure on public services and on reducing the Scottish Government’s budget year on year. I fail to see how that can help the fortunes of this area.”

Meanwhile, Catriona Bhatia who, after the General Election was called, was expected to contest Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk for the Lib Dems, will, instead, take on Mrs Hamilton in the Holyrood by-election.

Reflecting on last week’s Scottish Borders Council election – when only two Lib Dem councillors were returned - Ms Bhatia said: “I am naturally very disappointed as Lib Dem councillors have been local champions for their communities as well as contributing to the work of the council across the Borders.

“Unfortunately politics in Scotland is becoming increasingly polarised and we will need to fight back to show that a centrist, Liberal agenda which unifies the country is the way forward.

“It is heartening to look to France and Canada where moderate and progressive voices have won the argument.”

Completing the line-up is Labour’s Sally Prentice whose bid to become a Kelso & District councillor was unsuccessful last week.