IAIN GRAY HAS SERIOUS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER OVER DONATIONS

IAIN GRAY HAS SERIOUS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER OVER DONATIONS

EAST LOTHIAN LABOUR IN CRISIS YET AGAIN

SNP MSP Christine Grahame has called for an independent investigation into
allegations that the East Lothian Labour Party used council resources for
political fund raising.

Ms Grahame’s call comes after a local newspaper revealed that the
Prestonpans branch of the party used council-owned equipment to stage an
annual fundraising barbecue and some of the profits appear to have been
used to fund Gray’s election campaign. The Council support provided to the
Labour Party for fundraising may be worth at least £10,000 of taxpayers’
money which had been earmarked to support fetes, gala days and other
community events.

Mr Gray received up to £4300 to fund his leadership campaign from groups
which made money out of these barbeques: £800 from Prestonpans branch of
the Labour Party, £1500 from the Prestonpans Labour party social club and
£2000 from the East Lothian party, to which the Prestonpans branch is
affiliated and contributes funds.

Iain Gray was today (Sunday) keeping a very low profile – no-one from the
Labour party was available to explain the situation to BBC Scotland’s
Politics Show.

Commenting, Ms Grahame said:

“These revelations raise serious questions for Iain Gray. He must
immediately pay back the taxpayers’ money that he used to bankroll his
party leadership campaign.

“This is a significant sum of money which should have been used to benefit
the East Lothian community by funding local fetes and galadays – not line
Labour party coffers.

“We need an independent audit immediately to establish exactly how much
Labour have profited from public money in East Lothian. They must refund
local people without delay.

“Iain Gray must make it clear exactly what he knew about these events and
when. As principal beneficiary, did he attend them? Did he realise that
council resources were being used inappropriately?

“This is the latest in a long line of disasters for the East Lothian
Labour Party.

“First, local officials lost control of the party after they tried to oust
Westminster MP Anne Moffat against the wishes of activists, then they lost
the European elections to the SNP and now dubious deals stretching back
more than a decade have been uncovered.

“Labour lost their previous leader, Wendy Alexander, for accepting dodgy
donations, now her successor at Holyrood is embroiled in another donations
scandal.

“This whole sorry saga typifies the contempt with which Labour treated
Scotland and demonstrates why it was so important to oust the Labour party
after decades of misruling most of Scotland’s local authorities.

“Iain Gray clearly can’t keep his own constituency party on track, so how
on earth does he think he’d be fit to run Scotland?"