A former regional daily editor is set for a new career in local politics on his old paper’s patch.

John McLellan had two spells as editor of the Edinburgh Evening News between 1997 and 2002 and then from 2004 to 2009 – but now he is seeking to become a councillor in the Scottish capital.

John, left, has been selected to stand as a Conservative candidate for the Craigentinny and Duddingston ward in next year’s city council elections

A former director of communications for the Scottish Conservatives, John is currently director of the Scottish Newspaper Society.

He said: “I’ve spent 25 years or so watching events, observing and commenting, and latterly as an Evening News columnist I really quite enjoyed getting back into the nuts and bolts of affairs and writing about what was going on, particularly on the planning and development side.

“I thought it was something I could get involved in and make a positive contribution on rather than just observing.”

It is more than three decades since the Conservatives were last in power in Edinburgh, but they are aiming to build on the party’s success in the Scottish Parliament elections in May, when they overtook Labour to become the second largest party at Holyrood.