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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| SNP denies Alexander bias claims | SNP denies Alexander bias claims |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| SNP leader Alex Salmond has denied that political bias on Holyrood's standards committee led to the downfall of the Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander. | SNP leader Alex Salmond has denied that political bias on Holyrood's standards committee led to the downfall of the Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander. |
| Ms Alexander said the committee's decision to suspend her from the Scottish Parliament was "partisan". | Ms Alexander said the committee's decision to suspend her from the Scottish Parliament was "partisan". |
| The committee sanctioned her for not properly declaring donations. | The committee sanctioned her for not properly declaring donations. |
| Mr Salmond said she had been judged by an independent standards commissioner, and on information supplied by someone within her own party. | Mr Salmond said she had been judged by an independent standards commissioner, and on information supplied by someone within her own party. |
| Labour 'disintegrating' | Labour 'disintegrating' |
| Ms Alexander resigned on Saturday, after MSPs recommended she was given a one-day ban from the Scottish Parliament for breaking donation rules. | Ms Alexander resigned on Saturday, after MSPs recommended she was given a one-day ban from the Scottish Parliament for breaking donation rules. |
| She failed to declare donations to her leadership campaign last summer on her register of interests. | She failed to declare donations to her leadership campaign last summer on her register of interests. |
| Ms Alexander said she had acted in "good faith" and on the written advice of clerks to the standards committee. | Ms Alexander said she had acted in "good faith" and on the written advice of clerks to the standards committee. |
| She claimed the complaints against her were "vexatious" and the decision of MSPs on the committee was partisan. | She claimed the complaints against her were "vexatious" and the decision of MSPs on the committee was partisan. |
| She said that she thought the parliamentary process had been "cynically abused" by political opponents who had used "investigation as political tactic". | She said that she thought the parliamentary process had been "cynically abused" by political opponents who had used "investigation as political tactic". |
| I can't see in any of this a relentless pursuit of Wendy Alexander Alex SalmondSNP leader What the papers sayWho are the Labour contenders? class="" href="/1/hi/scotland/7480162.stm">Standards watchdog defends role class="" href="/1/hi/scotland/7480129.stm">Labour figures call for contest | |
| Mr Salmond told BBC Scotland: "If you look at it at all rationally, the only reason these donations, which were meant to remain secret, came into the public domain, is that somebody - not just in Labour, but it had to be somebody within her leadership team - gave these details to the Sunday Herald newspaper. | Mr Salmond told BBC Scotland: "If you look at it at all rationally, the only reason these donations, which were meant to remain secret, came into the public domain, is that somebody - not just in Labour, but it had to be somebody within her leadership team - gave these details to the Sunday Herald newspaper. |
| "This all came from within the Labour party and I think it is quite difficult to face up to that but it is nonetheless true." | "This all came from within the Labour party and I think it is quite difficult to face up to that but it is nonetheless true." |
| Mr Salmond added that the standards committee decision on the ban, which saw three SNP MSPs and a Lib Dem vote to suspend Ms Alexander, was not partisan. | Mr Salmond added that the standards committee decision on the ban, which saw three SNP MSPs and a Lib Dem vote to suspend Ms Alexander, was not partisan. |
| He said: "The standards commissioner, who is an independent figure whose name is Jim Dyer, came to the conclusion that Wendy Alexander had broken the parliamentary rules. | He said: "The standards commissioner, who is an independent figure whose name is Jim Dyer, came to the conclusion that Wendy Alexander had broken the parliamentary rules. |
| "It is then the job of the parliamentary committee to accept or reject that recommendation and they accepted that recommendation. | "It is then the job of the parliamentary committee to accept or reject that recommendation and they accepted that recommendation. |
| "It is then their job to decide whether there should be any penalty and they decided on a suspension of one day. | "It is then their job to decide whether there should be any penalty and they decided on a suspension of one day. |
| "I can't see in any of this a relentless pursuit of Wendy Alexander." | "I can't see in any of this a relentless pursuit of Wendy Alexander." |
| Ms Alexander's departure means the party faces its second successive leadership campaign over the summer parliamentary recess. | Ms Alexander's departure means the party faces its second successive leadership campaign over the summer parliamentary recess. |
| Wendy Alexander talks of 'distractions' leading to her resignation | Wendy Alexander talks of 'distractions' leading to her resignation |
| Moves to choose a successor to Ms Alexander as Scottish Labour leader will begin this week, the party has said. | Moves to choose a successor to Ms Alexander as Scottish Labour leader will begin this week, the party has said. |
| Cathy Jamieson, the party's deputy leader for the last eight years, will be acting leader during the recess. | Cathy Jamieson, the party's deputy leader for the last eight years, will be acting leader during the recess. |
| Possible contenders for the top post include Ms Jamieson, former health minister Andy Kerr and former communities minister Margaret Curran. | Possible contenders for the top post include Ms Jamieson, former health minister Andy Kerr and former communities minister Margaret Curran. |
| Another potential contender is Iain Gray, who was enterprise minister in the first Holyrood administration. | Another potential contender is Iain Gray, who was enterprise minister in the first Holyrood administration. |
| Minimum threshold | Minimum threshold |
| Colin Smyth, Scottish Labour's general secretary, said its procedures committee would meet at the end of the week to agree a selection timetable. | Colin Smyth, Scottish Labour's general secretary, said its procedures committee would meet at the end of the week to agree a selection timetable. |
| Any Labour MSP can stand, but candidates have to have the support of one eighth of the parliamentary Labour party. | Any Labour MSP can stand, but candidates have to have the support of one eighth of the parliamentary Labour party. |
| With 46 Labour MSPs, this means the threshold is six - a contender plus at least five MSP backers. | With 46 Labour MSPs, this means the threshold is six - a contender plus at least five MSP backers. |
| If only one nominee comes forward, the party's Scottish executive and Labour MSPs confirm the nominee as the new leader. | If only one nominee comes forward, the party's Scottish executive and Labour MSPs confirm the nominee as the new leader. |
| If there is to be a contested election, all constituency parties, unions and societies, MPs and MEPs can offer "supportive" nominations. | If there is to be a contested election, all constituency parties, unions and societies, MPs and MEPs can offer "supportive" nominations. |
| The candidates who can muster the minimum threshold of support from Labour MSPs go forward to a one-member, one-vote postal ballot. | The candidates who can muster the minimum threshold of support from Labour MSPs go forward to a one-member, one-vote postal ballot. |