Suspended Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy defends friendship with sex offender Sean Morton

A suspended Labour MSP has said her relationship with a convicted sex offender arose from “loyalty and care”.

The Labour whip in the Scottish Parliament was withdrawn from Pam Duncan-Glancy amid an investigation into her friendship with Sean Morton.

Duncan-Glancy stood down as her party’s education spokesperson in December, after disclosures about her relationship with Morton – a former Moray councillor who admitted having indecent images of children in November 2017.

In a statement given to STV News on Wednesday, the Glasgow MSP said she was “deeply disappointed” that she had been suspended by Labour and that the details of the decision weren’t clear to her.

Convicted sex offender Sean Morton and Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy SpindriftGetty Images

“My personal relationship with someone who grew up with me, who stayed with my family for periods of time during our childhood, and who is to all intents and purposes, family, has never affected my work,” she said.

“When he was convicted of these very serious crimes, the justice system, rightly, dealt with him. I have never condoned his crimes and have always been clear that his actions were wrong.”

Duncan-Glancy said that Morton was and remains “someone requiring support” and that she and her family “ensured his welfare”.

Pam Duncan-Glancy stood down as Scottish Labour's education spokesperson after revelations about her ties with Sean Morton. — Pam Duncan-Glancy stood down as Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson after revelations about her ties with Sean Morton. Facebook

“There is no doubt this is difficult,” she added.

“I accept that not everyone will understand my reasons for doing what I did.

“My actions arise from loyalty and care. I was providing support to a highly vulnerable person. Loyalty and care are values that I think make me a good representative and for which I believe others know me for.”

Duncan-Glancy will not run in the Scottish elections and will stand down in May.

The MSP, the first permanent wheelchair user in the Scottish Parliament, said she was proud of her work and grateful for support from “constituents, colleagues, family, friends and indeed strangers alike”.

Lord Matthew Doyle with former Labour councillor Sean Morton. Facebook

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “All complaints are assessed thoroughly in line with our rules and procedures.”

On Tuesday, the Labour whip was removed from Sir Keir Starmer’s former communications chief over his friendship with Morton.

Lord Matthew Doyle campaigned for the paedophile in 2017 after he had been charged over indecent images of children, saying he believed his assertions of innocence, but the councillor later admitted having the images.

At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch claimed Sir Keir’s decision over Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador was not an “isolated” one, as she questioned why former head of communications Lord Doyle received a peerage despite his ties to the paedophile councillor.

In response, Sir Keir said: “Matthew Doyle did not give a full account of his actions. I promised my party and my country there will be change, and yesterday I removed the whip from Matthew Doyle.”

In a statement, Lord Doyle apologised “unreservedly” for supporting Moray councillor Morton before the case against him had concluded.

He said he also had “extremely limited” contact with Morton after his conviction.