THE SNP have announced the winner of their selection contest in the Argyll and Bute constituency.

Jenni Minto will be running for a seat in Holyrood in 2021 after beating out three other hopefuls in the race for the SNP ticket.

Minto will be running in the stead of Scottish Constitution Secretary Michael Russell, who will be stepping back from frontline politics at the next election.

Russell has held the seat for the SNP since 2011.

Announcing the news of her win on Twitter, Minto wrote: “I am so honoured to have been selected. A massive thank you to everyone who voted for me. Thank you to Rhiannon, Sarah and Breege for being great candidates too.

“Now it's time to get to work! #BothVotesSNP”

The Argyll and Bute race had been contested by Sarah Fanet, Julie McKenzie, Jenni Minto, Breege Smyth, and Rhiannon Spear after the SNP’s ruling body designated it “women-only”.

McKenzie pulled out of the race in late October after saying she had “lost faith in due process and the concept of a level playing field for all”.

The news of Minto’s victory means there are just two Scottish parliament constituencies where the SNP have not yet announced a candidate.

Renfrewshire North & West ended in a tie and will therefore go to a re-ballot, while ballots remain open in the controversial race for Cunninghame North.

You can find the list of the 71 confirmed SNP candidates here.