Alexander dodges Holyrood ban

Alexander dodges Holyrood ban

Friday, 05, Sep 2008 02:17

MSPs have saved former Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander from a Holyrood ban after voting by 49 to 70 against the decision to bar her from the parliament.

Ms Alexander had originally been recommended for a one-day ban after the Scottish parliament's standards committee decided she broke rules by failing to declare party donations within the 30-day deadline. The Scottish parliament then went into recess before it could debate the matter.

The decision prompted Ms Alexander to resign as Labour leader.

She described yesterday's vote as "a victory for commons sense".

She continued: "Some will question why I resigned.

"I said in June I was not prepared to allow this matter to dominate over the summer. No-one can doubt it would have done so had I remained Labour leader in Scotland.

"I judged that not to be in the interests of either the Labour party or the country."

Duncan McNeil, Labour chairman at Holyrood, said: "Parliament has rightly rejected a flawed and partisan report. And it has rejected the way in which the committee has been politicised by the SNP."