Labour MSP quits job after two weeks

Malcolm Chisholm resigned as shadow education secretary after claiming Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray had blocked him from standing as convener of Holyrood's health committee.

Mr Chisholm, who has twice previously resigned government posts, was given the education brief less than a fortnight ago. But within days, he decided he wanted to stand for election as health convener.

Mr Gray refused to allow the Edinburgh North and Leith MSP to do so, as he had already named him in his shadow cabinet.

Standing for the health committee post would have meant Mr Chisholm having to leave the shadow cabinet anyway, but he said he had quit in protest after not being allowed to stand for the convener's job, which will be occupied by a Labour MSP following a deal between all the parties at Holyrood.

The Scotsman has learned that Duncan McNeil MSP is Mr Gray's favoured candidate for the health convener's job, which will, like all such committee posts, be voted on by MSPs today.

Mr Chisholm, who has served as health minister, said he had had a "disagreement" with Mr Gray and claimed he had originally accepted the education brief because he did not think a Labour MSP would be given the health convener's role.

He said: "It was last week the chair of the health committee became available. I thought that, with my experience, I would be suited better for that, as I was a health minister.

"I had a disagreement with Iain Gray. I don't think it's right that the committee chairs are in the gift of the party leaders.

"I wanted to be chair of the health committee. When it became clear that Labour had the health committee chair, I said I was interested. The leader said he wouldn't nominate me.

"It only arose when it became clear that Labour was getting the chair of the committee, as it didn't look like it was going to get this initially. I thought I was well-qualified for the health committee."

Mr Chisholm, who supports SNP plans to impose a minimum unit price for alcohol, resigned from Jack McConnell's Labour-Liberal Democrat administration in 2006 over the issue of Trident nuclear submarines. He also quit as parliamentary under-secretary of state for Scotland at Westminster in 1997 over controversial cuts to single parent benefits by Tony Blair's government.

Last night, a Labour source suggested Mr Chisholm was being "petulant" by saying he had opted to take the education brief because he did not expect the party to have the chance of heading the health committee. The source said: "Malcolm took up the shadow cabinet education post knowing that he wouldn't be able to stand for the chair of a committee.

"It's petulant of him to say that he only did this because he didn't think Labour would have the health committee."

Mr Chisholm's resignation means Ken Macintosh MSP will become shadow education secretary and Patricia Ferguson will take on the post of shadow culture secretary.

The SNP seized on the Labour rift as evidence of "chaos" within the party's ranks at Holyrood.

SNP MSP Jamie Hepburn said: "Malcolm Chisholm may have a very good reason for his resignation but for Iain Gray, this is yet more chaos.

"It says a lot about the state of Labour that their most experienced MSP is walking away from Iain Gray."

IN THE CHAIR

The SNP will hold nine of the committee convener posts – education, finance, infrastructure, local government, Europe, subordinate legislation, justice, local government and rural affairs.

Labour has been handed four committee chairs, including health, which Duncan McNeil is likely to chair, and equal opportunities, which is due to go to Claudia Beamish. Hugh Henry is set to be convener of the public audit committee, with party colleague David Stewart becoming the head of the public petitions committee.

The remaining post, for the economy, energy and tourism committee, will go to Tory MSP Gavin Brown.