Activist closes blog for being a risk too far

Published on Thursday 9 October 2008 09:59

A POPULAR online blog written by a well-known Edinburgh Labour activist has closed down.

Kezia Dugdale, a Holyrood parliamentary researcher who works for Lothians MSP George Foulkes, was behind the blog called The Soapbox.

She was recently shortlisted as Labour's candidate for the forthcoming Glenrothes by-election, but lost out to Kirkcaldy High headteacher Lindsay Roy.

In an interview on rival blog "SNP Tactical Voting", Ms Dugdale said: "Blogging has become too much of a risk.

"I have an inclination that the vast majority of my readership are SNP activists just desperate for me to trip up spectacularly.

"I'm not risk-averse, and this is no act of cowardice, but I have to make a judgement about whether or not blogging almost daily for the next three years, in the run-up to the next Scottish elections, is good for me personally, for my career and for the Labour Party.

"I've decided that for now, and certainly the immediate future, it isn't."