Alexander in the clear over leadership bid donations

Published on Thursday 6 March 2008 23:04

WENDY Alexander, the Scottish Labour leader, will not be prosecuted for failing to register donations to her leadership campaign, it was announced yesterday.

A spokesman for the Crown Office, which is responsible for prosecutions in Scotland, said further action "would not be appropriate".

It was revealed last month that Dr Jim Dyer, the Scottish Parliament's standards watchdog, had sent a report to the procurator-fiscal in Lothian and Borders concerning Ms Alexander.

Ms Alexander last month disclosed the details of ten supporters who each gave just under 1,000 to her campaign to become Scottish Labour leader.

At that time she said she was disclosing the details after receiving advice from Dr Dyer, the Scottish parliamentary standards commissioner.

Clerks to Holyrood's standards committee told her in November she did not need to register the donations on the register of MSPs' interests.

But Labour said Dr Dyer later said this advice was "incorrect", and Ms Alexander therefore made a voluntary registration.

The Crown Office spokesman said: "Crown counsel has concluded that a prosecution would not be appropriate in the full circumstances of the case."

In addition, there was a "degree of uncertainty" regarding the interpretation of the provisions, and Ms Alexander made a voluntary disclosure to the Electoral Commission.

A spokesman for Ms Alexander said she welcomed the decision. He stated: "The Crown Office has found that not only would a prosecution not be in the public interest, but it would not be appropriate as Ms Alexander has made clear all along she took written advice from the standards clerk and made a voluntary disclosure to the Electoral Commission."

Roseanna Cunningham, the SNP MSP, said the decision would surprise no-one.