Dundee SNP Councillor Lynne Short intends to bid for a Westminster seat after local MP Stewart Hosie announced plans to quit.
Veteran nationalist Mr Hosie confirmed earlier this week he will leave the House of Commons after nearly 20 years at the next UK election.
Ms Short said she would be keen to put her name forward for the new Arbroath and Broughty Ferry constituency, which will replace Mr Hosie’s Dundee East seat.
The Maryfield councillor was at the centre of a major row in January when she compared the battle for transgender rights with the Holocaust.
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon even faced calls to remove Ms Short from the SNP after the controversial comments.
Ms Short – who was a regional candidate in the 2021 Holyrood election – said: “I would be keen to throw my hat into the ring for the area.
“I want to use my voice and the experiences of the women of Dundee who have been amongst those most impacted by Westminster austerity.
“Show the establishment what real rebellious Scots are about.”
Mr Hosie has held the Dundee East constituency since 2005 and was one of the SNP’s safest strongholds in Scotland.
The party will remain strong favourites to hold onto the new Arbroath and Broughty Ferry seat when voters next go to the polls.
Already interest is growing in who else may put themselves forward to replace former SNP deputy leader Mr Hosie in the House of Commons.
Arbroath SNP Councillor Serena Cowdy, who is married to Mr Hosie, told us it was too early to say whether she would run, but did not rule herself out.
Dundee North East Councillor Steven Rome, who was first elected in 2019, has been touted as a possible contender for the seat.
City council leader John Alexander said he does not intend to run for the seat and he is instead focused on running Dundee.
West End Councillor Nadia El-Nakla, who is married to First Minister Humza Yousaf, has also ruled herself out.
In Angus, local SNP council chief Beth Whiteside told us she has no plans for a move to Westminster.
While Monifieth and Sidlaw Councillor Lloyd Melville confirmed he would not be standing despite receiving “encouragement” to do so.