News from Labour Matters

Scottish Labour Leader quits with “deep regret”

Wendy Alexander today announced her resignation as Labour leader in Scotland after being found guilty of a technical breach of failing to declare almost £8,000 in donations to her leadership campaign last year. Although she was facing the prospect of a one-day suspension from the Scottish Parliament as a result of an inquiry, it was recognised that she had sought advice from Parliamentary authorities as to whether she was required to declare the donations but had incorrectly received assurances that she did not.

Scottish Labour has accused the SNP members on the Standards Committee of prolonging the process to gain the maximum political advantage from the affair. Having been given the one-day ban, which amounted to a slap on the wrist, on the the last day of the parliamentary term MSPs would be unable to ratify the punishment until they returned to Parliament in September.

In a resignation speech made to sound all the more emotional because her voice was still hoarse from a throat infection she said:

“It is with deep regret that I tender my resignation following the decision of the Standards Committee this week. I acted in good faith and the written advice of parliamentary authorities. I believe there has been a breach of natural justice in a partisan decision.”

“I judge that this issue has become too much of a distraction on the real issues that should dominate our public life. I cannot ask Labour supporters in Scotland further forbearance.”

Speaking after the resignation of Wendy Alexander MSP, Colin Smyth, Labour’s Scottish General Secretary, said:

“Wendy Alexander wrote to me this morning to tender her resignation as Leader of Labour in the Scottish Parliament. The whole party will want to thank Wendy Alexander for her services to the party. Cathy Jamieson has immediately assumed all the responsibilities of the leader of the Labour Group of the Scottish Parliament until the normal procedures for electing a new leader are concluded.”

The acting Scottish Labour Leader, Cathy Jamieson, paid tribute to her predecessor saying:

“Ever since this process began anybody who knows Wendy Alexander has not for one minute questioned her integrity as is evident today. With this decision she has put the Scottish Parliament and the Labour Party above her own interests.

“However there are far wider issues that have been raised and it is not just about Wendy Alexander and the Labour Party but Parliamentary process.

“Wendy Alexander followed the code of conduct, sought advice from Parliament and received unambiguous legal advice. Subsequently the Standards Commissioner decided this advice was wrong and the Standards Committee then penalised her for following the advice of the parliamentary authorities. This has profound implications for all MSPs.

“Wendy Alexander has set up the platform for Labour to reconnect with the people of Scotland and we will be taking forward this agenda over the summer and beyond.”

There will now be a leadership election to permanently fill the vacated post, further distracting the Party from highlighting the broken promises of the Scottish Nationalists.

In an unrelated decision, the 67-year-old David Marshall announced that he was to stand down from the Scottish Parliament due to ill health causing a by-election in Glasgow East.

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