Lib Dems candidate misses election count to give birth

The Scottish Liberal Democrats candidate for Dunfermline has apologised for being unable to see the result in person – because she is in hospital about to give birth.

Aude Boubaker-Calder, who is married to Fife councillor James Calder, is being induced at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy on Saturday after reaching the 42-week milestone without any signs of arrival.

In a statement, she said: “I was hoping to be able to be present during the results on Saturday but our little bundle of joy has decided otherwise and I will need to be induced this weekend as I am reaching the 42-weeks milestone.”

Boubaker-Calder had been due to give birth to her child around a week before the election.

Speaking around three weeks ago, she said: “I’m expecting a child in the next couple of weeks – we don’t know what it is yet.

“It’s really important to me that I am engaged, as a feminist, in politics because the issue of women in politics is so important.

“We’ve seen accounts of women working in politics and motherhood at the same time – just look at the prime minister of New Zealand [Jacinda Ahern] who was in exactly the same situation as me.”

The count is currently ongoing for Dunfermline at Glenrothes’ Michael Woods Sports Centre.

By local democracy reporter Jon Brady