Appeal puts Wendy Alexander's election accounts back in spotlight

Published on Thursday 29 July 2010 14:46

FORMER Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander has found her election accounts under further investigation following an appeal to the Information Tribunal.

Campaigner David Ferguson has posted a request to obtain details of the Electoral Commission's investigation into the donations row which led to Ms Alexander's resignation as Scottish Labour leader.

Mr Ferguson is challenging the Information Commissioner's Office because it upheld a decision by the Electoral Commission not to release information regarding its investigation into a 950 donation by Jersey businessman Paul Green to Ms Alexander's leadership campaign.

The donation was in apparent breach of the law which says donations above 200 must be from UK voters or firms. The ICO concluded in its decision, issue in March of this year, that the elections watchdog was correct to exempt from publication certain information that could be classed as personal data.

Mr Ferguson sauid he would request that Ms Alexander and her team be called as witnesses, to ask if they had understood their evidence to the Electoral Commission would be kept secret.

Mr Ferguson added: "The Electoral Commission has fought tooth and nail for three years to prevent any information at all on the matter from being made available to the public whose interests it supposedly serves."

The Electoral Commission ruled in February 2008 that Ms Alexander would not be reported to prosecutors over the 950 donation to her leadership campaign, adding that it was "not appropriate or in the public interest" to report Ms Alexander under legislation which makes it an offence to accept and keep donations from someone not on the UK electoral register.

The appeal will be held in London on 14 October. .