Labour MSPs give up pay as they stay away from Holyrood

Scottish Labour defended its decision not to turn up at Holyrood yesterday to take part in an SNP government debate on public sector pensions.

Rather than cross the picket line outside the Scottish Parliament, Labour MSPs joined strikers in their constituencies.

A Labour statement declared that MSPs had given up a day’s pay to take part in the protests and outlined where each of the party’s 37 Holyrood politicians would be spending the day.

The Labour MSPs decided to stay away from Holyrood, despite the reluctance of their UK leader Ed Miliband to support the strike.

The Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said the party would stand “shoulder to shoulder” with those taking action.