Ukip’s candidate to be Perth and North Perthshire’s MP is bidding to become a Peterborough councillor and has not visited the Scottish constituency since being selected.
John Myles admitted he did not ask to stand for the anti-EU party north of the border in the general election but was selected because “they hadn’t got anybody local”.
His great-grandfather was a former local procurator fiscal, while his family also lived in Forfar.
However, Mr Myles has lived in Peterborough, where he is standing to represent the west of the city, for 40 years.
Mr Myles said: “Apparently this is in order and they hadn’t got anybody local for Perth and North Perthshire and as I have distant connections in the far past with the city, and it’s a lovely place, I was selected for it.”
Asked if he put himself forward to be the candidate, he added: “Well, no. I’m an approved candidate on their list you see but I was, as it were, posted and it’s a very nice place to be posted.
“The Ukip view of this is if there is somebody who wishes to vote for Ukip, they should have the opportunity to do so.”
Mr Myles admitted he has not been to the constituency during this election campaign because he is “rather limited in how much I can get around”, adding he “would have wished to”.
Mr Myles added that he was hopeful of gaining “a respectable number of votes in Perth” but was “more optimistic in the city council election in Peterborough because I have lived in this ward for about 40 years so I know a lot of people.”
Ukip insisted it would be “more disrespectful” to not field a candidate.