Labour MSP to quit Holyrood over friendship with convicted sex offender

A Labour MSP will quit Holyrood due to her friendship with a convicted sex offender.

Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy announced on Sunday that she would be withdrawing as a candidate for the Scottish parliamentary election next year.

She said she did not wish for a “personal friendship” to become a distraction.

Ms Duncan-Glancy said: “I am announcing today that I am withdrawing as a candidate for the Scottish Parliamentary election next year.

“While this has obviously been a very difficult decision – and it is the greatest honour of my life to represent Glasgow – I do not wish for a personal friendship to become a distraction.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve, and I remain committed to returning a Scottish Labour government next year.

“I promised in my first speech in parliament to give a voice to the voiceless. I will go on doing that.

“I will continue to fight for my constituents for the next five months, as I have for the last five years. And I will keep fighting for the causes I believe in”.

The Glasgow region MSP was previously Labour’s education spokeswoman, but submitted her resignation at the beginning of the month due to reports she had maintained links to Sean Morton, a former Labour councillor who admitted having indecent images of children and extreme pornography in 2017.

He pled guilty and was given a community payback order, which included 140 hours of unpaid work.

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “Pam Duncan-Glancy has withdrawn as a parliamentary candidate for the Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill constituency.

“She has taken the decision to step aside as she does not wish recent stories to become a distraction from the work of the party or its priorities.

“The selection process will now be reopened so that a replacement candidate can be chosen.”