MSP says former office manager was warned over conflict of interest

Published on Tuesday 31 May 2011 19:35

A FORMER office manager for SNP MSP Sandra White is claiming unfair dismissal after being sacked for allegedly abusing her position to help her businessman boyfriend.

Jacqueline Mills was dismissed amid allegations she had secretly written letters and sent e-mails from the politician's office on behalf of her partner, William Johnstone, and his business.

The administration manager allegedly wrote the correspondence as though it was from Ms White and even signed some e-mails using the Glasgow Kelvin MSP's electronic signature.

At an employment tribunal in Glasgow yesterday, Ms White claimed that she discovered a file on Ms Mills's desk which contained copies of letters and e-mails relating to Mr Johnstone's garage on Turnberry Road, Glasgow, which had been set on fire the previous year.

Ms White said: "I then arranged a meeting with Jacqueline and told her that evidence had come to light that she had been working for her boyfriend without my knowledge or consent and had been sending e-mails and letters containing my signature."

The MSP said she had previously warned Ms Mills she could not represent her boyfriend because he was not a constituent of hers and because it was a potential "conflict of interests".

However, Ms Mills denies that and claims Ms White agreed to act on Mr Johnstone's behalf.

The tribunal continues.