GRAY BLUNDERS INTO DUAL MANDATE BY FORGETTING CURRAN’S CANDIDACY

GRAY BLUNDERS INTO DUAL MANDATE BY FORGETTING CURRAN’S CANDIDACY

ANOTHER TORY MSP FLIES IN THE FACE & SPIRIT OF KELLY RECOMMENDATIONS

Commenting on Iain Gray’s attack on the First Minister over dual mandates, as reported in the Scotsman and Daily Record today, SNP MSP Dr Alasdair Allan said the Labour leader had blundered by forgetting that one of his own MSPs, Margaret Curran, is also seeking to stand for Westminster at the next election.

In addition, Labour MSP George Foulkes also has a dual mandate in the House of Lords.

Yesterday Dr Allan highlighted the case of the Tory MSP for Roxburgh & Berwickshire, John Lamont, who is also seeking a dual mandate as a Westminster MP.

Now it has been reported that the Tory list MSP for North East Scotland, Alex Johnstone, would do the same as candidate for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine at Westminster. This is despite the fact that when David Mundell was elected MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale in 2005 he resigned immediately as a regional MSP for the South of Scotland.

These positions fly in the face of the recommendations in Sir Christopher Kelly’s review into MPs' expenses, which say that the practice of dual mandate should end by May 2011. Lamont and Johnstone’s desires to become dual mandates expose the Tories’ hypocrisy when they attack First Minister Alex Salmond. The First Minister made it clear to the electorate in Banff and Buchan and Gordon he would be seeking a dual mandate at both the 2005 and 2007 elections, and he would serve a full Westminster parliamentary term before standing down. Neither John Lamont nor Alex Johnstone informed their respective constituencies about their plans to become Westminster MPs.

Commenting, SNP MSP Dr Alasdair Allan said:

“Iain Gray’s intervention was ill-judged and can only be borne out of the knee jerk negativity that appears to be a growing problem within the group he leads.

“By attacking the First Minister’s dual mandate he has only opened up questions about his own MSP Margaret Curran, who is now seeking a dual mandate for Westminster.

“He has also forgotten that he already has a dual mandate member on his benches – Lord George Foulkes is also a member of the House of Lords.

“The positions of Margaret Curran and Lord Foulkes raise questions about how seriously Iain Gray is taking the recommendations of Sir Christopher’s recommendations and what he will tell his MSPs to do.

“Allowing one to stand and the other to actively take part in the proceedings of the House of Lords only flies in the face of those recommendations.

“The hypocrisy of Labour and the Tories on this issue is astonishing, given their MSPs who are actively seeking election to two chambers, without even bothering to put that to their constituents in 2007.

“For several years now we have heard attacks on the First Minister from the Scottish Tory leader about the First Minister’s dual mandate – a position he won in elections where he expressly said he was seeking such a mandate.

“Contrast that with not only one but two of Ms Goldie’s own MSPs – one of whom who is a regional list MSP and who could resign his seat without risking the loss of a Tory MSP. Both fly in the face of Sir Christopher’s proposals.

“The Tory position on dual mandates is untenable. At no time in 2007 did John Lamont or Alex Johnstone tell the voters they were seeking a dual mandate at Westminster.

“For Iain Gray and Annabel Goldie have lost all credibility on this issue.”