AN SNP councillor has become a shock contender for his party's deputy leadership.

Christopher McEleny, leader of the SNP opposition group in Inverclyde, is the first candidate to publicly enter the race to replace Stewart Hosie.

While it had been expected that the contest to become the new deputy to Nicola Sturgeon would be fought by MPs and MSPs, Mr McEleny said it would benefit his party and the country to have a local government representative in the role.

Mr Hosie announced at the weekend that he would not seek re-election for the deputy leadership, which he won in 2014. The decision came after it emerged that the Dundee MP had cheated on his wife, the MSP and health secretary Shona Robison, with a journalist. His replacement will be chosen by party members at the SNP's autumn conference.

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Mr McEleny, 29, is seen as one of few rising stars within the SNP at local government level, and has been credited with shaking up a previously poorly-performing group of nationalist councillors in Inverclyde.

The timed served electrician, who became a councillor in 2012, has put his name forward ahead of next May's local government elections. The SNP is vying to win several local authorities, including Inverclyde, from Labour.

He said: "As local councillors we are on the frontier of delivering the services that communities and people across Scotland rely on. In 2017 we hope to gain control of Local Authorities across Scotland to deliver SNP policies to improve towns, cities and villages for the better. I believe I can champion local government at the heart of our party. A position that will benefit both our part and Scotland as a whole.

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"We have earned the trust of people across the country by delivering policies that have improved the communities they live in. Since 2015 we have been leading the opposition against the Tory Government at Westminster and this year people again put their trust in the SNP by electing the SNP as the government of Scotland for a record third term.

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"By electing a councillor as deputy leader we will be sending out a strong message regarding our commitment to and the importance local government plays in creating a fairer Scotland from a grass roots level to the very top of Government."

Last year, the then Glasgow Council leader Gordon Matheson stood for the deputy leadership of Scottish Labour. He came second behind Fife MSP Alex Rowley.