SHONA Haslam is being urged to stand down as Scottish Borders Council leader after she revealed she will seek election as an MSP in 2021.

Mrs Haslam announced last night (Friday, December 18) that she has been selected as the Scottish Conservatives’ candidate for the Holyrood seat of Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale.

But now opposition councillors are urging Mrs Haslam to step aside as council leader.

SNP group leader Stuart Bell says his fellow Tweeddale East representative is “more interested in a national political career, than in leading the Scottish Borders Council”.

In a statement, Mr Bell writes: “Cllr Haslam can meet her responsibilities in the local ward well enough.

“But it is not right that Borders [sic] pay her to be the council leader and she is off campaigning to be elected to somewhere else.”

In response, Mrs Haslam said: “I can assure everyone in the Scottish Borders that there will be no loss of focus or lack of energy from me as council leader during the run up to the parliamentary elections."

Mr Bell wrote: “Personally I wish Cllr Haslam well if she is choosing to contest the Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale seat at the Holyrood election, but she will have a hard fight trying to unseat the SNP contestant - the very experienced and trusted Christine Grahame MSP.

“It is clear from Shona’s choice last year to contest a Lanarkshire seat to become an MP that she is more interested in a national political career, than in leading the Scottish Borders Council, so we are calling on her to now resign as leader of the council.”

Tweeddale West councillor Heather Anderson, the SNP group’s deputy leader, said: “It is one thing for a back-bench councillor to seek to become an MP or an MSP.

“But Cllr Haslam was elected as the leader of the louncil with responsibilities right across the Scottish Borders.

“To again seek national election is not compatible with remaining as leader of this council.

“It is absolutely not right that public money is used to pay her a supplement for council leadership duties while she is off fighting, for and concentrating on, national politics.”

She added: “I know that political priorities are difficult to balance.

“But there are enormous pressures right now on our local authority as we cope with COVID-19, as we navigate through the completely unknown problems of Brexit, and as our council helps a new Chief Executive into office in a few months’ time.

“Shona Haslam wants to be a Member of the Scottish Parliament - I completely respect her decision to do that, but it’s not acceptable to also remain as the council leader during the contest over such a crucial time.”

Responding, Mrs Haslam said: "Perhaps this is more a case of sour grapes as I know Cllr Anderson wanted to fight the seat for the SNP but lost to Christine Grahame.

"I want to see more women at every level of government, whether that be local or national.

"In fact I wrote to Cllr Anderson when she became and MEP congratulating her and wishing her well.

"It is just a shame that Cllr Bell does not seem to share the same ambition.

"We should have more women in leadership, not less, and I am disappointed that it appears he disagrees.”