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| Report re-ignites donations row | Report re-ignites donations row |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Wendy Alexander was advised that donations to her Scottish Labour leadership campaign should be declared, it has emerged. | Wendy Alexander was advised that donations to her Scottish Labour leadership campaign should be declared, it has emerged. |
| The guidance, from a Holyrood official, came out in the official report into a complaint about her campaign donations. | |
| But Ms Alexander said she was later told the cash gifts did not have to be put on her MSP register of interests. | |
| The donations row saga led to the Paisley North MSP's resignation as Scottish Labour leader. | The donations row saga led to the Paisley North MSP's resignation as Scottish Labour leader. |
| Ms Alexander quit after Holyrood's standards committee found she breached the rules by failing to declare the cash gifts and recommended she be banned from parliament for one day - a move MSPs will vote on after the summer recess. | Ms Alexander quit after Holyrood's standards committee found she breached the rules by failing to declare the cash gifts and recommended she be banned from parliament for one day - a move MSPs will vote on after the summer recess. |
| She insisted she initially acted on the advice of committee clerks, before subsequently adding details of the donations to her register. | She insisted she initially acted on the advice of committee clerks, before subsequently adding details of the donations to her register. |
| She sought and received unambiguous written advice from the parliament's clerks Spokesman for Wendy Alexander | She sought and received unambiguous written advice from the parliament's clerks Spokesman for Wendy Alexander |
| The newly-published official report into the complaint, which has re-ignited the donations row, was branded "highly-flawed and partisan" by Labour, while the SNP described it as a damning and embarrassing publication. | The newly-published official report into the complaint, which has re-ignited the donations row, was branded "highly-flawed and partisan" by Labour, while the SNP described it as a damning and embarrassing publication. |
| The report contained notes of a discussion between Ms Alexander and a standards committee clerk on 8 November last year. | The report contained notes of a discussion between Ms Alexander and a standards committee clerk on 8 November last year. |
| The clerk said it was explained to her that "any donation could be considered as a gift and therefore it would be required to be registered if it exceeded £520 and met the prejudice test". | The clerk said it was explained to her that "any donation could be considered as a gift and therefore it would be required to be registered if it exceeded £520 and met the prejudice test". |
| It was not clear from the report what time the conversation took place, but Scottish Labour insisted it happened before Ms Alexander was sent a message from the clerk later that day. | It was not clear from the report what time the conversation took place, but Scottish Labour insisted it happened before Ms Alexander was sent a message from the clerk later that day. |
| The message said: "Given the circumstances that you have outlined to us below, this does not require to be registered under either 'gifts' or 'election expenses'." | The message said: "Given the circumstances that you have outlined to us below, this does not require to be registered under either 'gifts' or 'election expenses'." |
| The response came after Ms Alexander told the clerk that the donations were not made to her personally and she could not withdraw the cash. | The response came after Ms Alexander told the clerk that the donations were not made to her personally and she could not withdraw the cash. |
| A spokesman for the former leader said: "She sought and received unambiguous written advice from the parliament's clerks, based in turn on written advice from the parliament's lawyers, yet the committee decided to punish her for following that very advice." | A spokesman for the former leader said: "She sought and received unambiguous written advice from the parliament's clerks, based in turn on written advice from the parliament's lawyers, yet the committee decided to punish her for following that very advice." |
| Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said of the report: "It perhaps sheds new light on why Wendy Alexander took the decision to resign just over a week ago. | Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said of the report: "It perhaps sheds new light on why Wendy Alexander took the decision to resign just over a week ago. |
| "If she had not resigned then, I think she would be under enormous pressure to resign today." | "If she had not resigned then, I think she would be under enormous pressure to resign today." |
| Ms Alexander's successor is expected to be in place in September. | Ms Alexander's successor is expected to be in place in September. |