A former regional journalist is bidding to become an MP in the United Kingdom’s smallest constituency by population.

The Daily Record has reported Torcuil Crichton is set to become the Labour candidate for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, the constituency that covers the 21,000 inhabitants of the Western Isles.

Torcuil, pictured, spent 12 years as the Glasgow-based daily’s Westminster editor before leaving the newspaper last year.

The 58-year-old began his career on the West Highland Free Press in 1987, later working for Glasgow sister titles The Herald and Sunday Herald, as well as the BBC.

Torcuil, who is from Lewis, was expected to go head-to-head with another candidate in the Labour selection, but it is understood he is the only person to go forward for the nomination.

A vote of local Labour members will take place later in the week.

Na h-Eileanan an Iar has an electorate of just over 20,000 and is held by the Scottish National Party’s Angus MacNeil, who was re-elected in 2019 with a majority of 2,438.