THE LibDem candidate in a key target seat donated £25,000 to the Conservatives under the leadership of Boris Johnson, The National can reveal.
Businessman Angus MacDonald hopes to rekindle the LibDem vote in their former Highland heartlands by taking the new Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire seat from the SNP.
But questions about his commitment to his new party’s stated pro-EU stance have arisen after The National revealed his previous support for the Tories in the run up to the 2019 election.
During that election, Johnson (above) employed the famous “Get Brexit Done” slogan while the LibDems and others including the SNP ran on strongly pro-EU platforms.
MacDonald hopes to reclaim what was formerly Charles Kennedy’s patch for the LibDems. The former party leader represented the west Highlands south of Sutherland continuously from 1983 until 2015.
Kennedy was succeeded by Ian Blackford (below) in the SNP landslide after the independence referendum and sadly died shortly afterwards.
MacDonald, a multi-millionaire who is said to be able to trace back his Lochaber roots for more than 1000 years, is the founder of both the Highland Cinema and Highland Bookshop in Fort William.
In July, MacDonald will face off against the SNP's Drew Hendry, who has represented Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey since 2015.
Blackford, who is standing down at the election, slammed his would-be successor for backing Johnson’s Conservative campaign in 2019.
He told The National: “Well, there we have it. The LibDem candidate bankrolled Boris Johnson’s Brexit party.
“Brexit and the Tories have done so much damage to Ross, Skye and Lochaber.
“Brexit red tape and lack of access to workers from Europe has damaged and held back our businesses, particularly tourism.
“We now know the LibDem candidate bankrolled this madness, this outcome of economic self-harm whilst supporting Boris Johnson – a disgraced prime minister.”
A Scottish LibDems spokesperson said: “These donations were made before Angus [below] was a member of the party.
“Angus joined the Liberal Democrats because he saw that we represented a voice for change and as our candidate for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire he is a champion for ending long journeys for NHS treatment, investing in infrastructure and rejuvenating local high streets.
“At the forthcoming election, everyone knows that this seat is going to be a straight fight between the Liberal Democrats and the SNP.
“Angus will stand on a manifesto with a clear plan to fix our broken relationship with Europe and fight for a fair deal for every part of the country.”
