SNP politician admits lying over e-mail 'black ops' to smear rivals

Published on Friday 18 December 2009 22:09

ATTEMPTS by SNP members to distance themselves from the cybernat blogging controversy were dealt a severe blow yesterday when the party was forced to investigate the behaviour of a senior politician.

Rob Davidson, the SNP group leader on Dumfries and Galloway Council, faces disciplinary action after he admitted lying when he said he was not involved with a pro-independence blog that smeared political rivals.

Mr Davidson is a parliamentary aide to SNP MSP Alasdair Morgan, one of Holyrood's deputy presiding officers.

The investigation was launched after it was revealed Mr Davidson had suggested topics for posting on the "Universality of Cheese" blog run by Mark MacLachlan. The latter resigned as an aide to education secretary Michael Russell after it was discovered he was behind the anonymous blog that published scurrilous and false allegations about prominent Labour and Tory figures.

Mr Russell has maintained that he was unaware of the contents of Mr MacLachlan's blog.

When it was revealed that Mr MacLachlan was the blog's author, Mr Davidson also attempted to distance himself from it. He told the Dumfries and Galloway Standard newspaper that he was "satisfied" no SNP councillor was involved.

Later, however, an e-mail from Mr Davidson to Mr MacLachlan came to light. In that e-mail, Mr Davidson referred to a vote at a Dumfries and Galloway Council meeting that saw Colin Smyth, Labour's Scottish general-secretary, excluded from a meeting.

The e-mail mentioned the blog and said the incident would be a "good one for 'black ops' to note the fact that no woman present voted any other way than to exclude him".

Mr Davidson added: "This one needs you to work your magic."

An entry then appeared on Mr MacLachlan's blog making untrue allegations, suggesting that Mr Smith bullied women.

The appearance of Mr Davidson's e-mail led him to revise his earlier assertion that no SNP councillors had been involved in the blog.

When asked if he had lied, Mr Davidson admitted: "Yes. Clearly, that has not been accurate."

His admission resulted in the SNP mounting an investigation into Mr Davidson's conduct.

Yesterday, an SNP spokeswoman said: "Mr Davidson is the subject of party disciplinary procedures. It would be inappropriate to comment further."

The Scottish Labour Party has reported him to the Standards Commission for Scotland, the body that enforces behaviour in public life for councillors.

Labour's Scottish leader Iain Gray called on First Minister Alex Salmond to sack the councillor.

"Rob Davidson, the SNP group leader in Dumfries, has admitted lying over his role in Michael Russell's former aide's 'black ops' – as he himself described it," Mr Gray said.

"Alex Salmond said in parliament he deprecated such behaviour and political parties should not have anything to do with them. Will he now then ask Rob Davidson to resign – or sack him for his part in the SNP smear campaign?

"The First Minister must not hide the role of any MSP or special adviser in this smear campaign or its cover up."