Published: Wednesday, 7th May, 2008 12:00
Calls for MSP to resign over £15k pay-out
By Hamish Hutchinson
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Keith Brown MSP has dismissed calls for his resignation as a Labour 'smear'.
CALLS have been made for MSP Keith Brown to resign for accepting a £15,000 ‘golden goodbye’ for quitting as a councillor – when he told voters he wouldn’t.
The Nationalist MSP has come under fire from Labour’s Gordon Banks MP after it was revealed that he received the cash following his successful election.
Mr Brown was one of three Clackmannanshire councillors who applied for severance pay to councillors standing down at the 2007 elections.
In February last year Mr Brown told the Advertiser that he would not take the payment as it would be morally wrong to accept the money whilst receiving an MSP’s salary.
This week he explained the cash was being used to fund local charities and community groups – and that this plan was well known.
He accused Mr Banks of launching a smear campaign to distract the public from the upcoming post office closures in Clackmannanshire – a programme that the MP voted for.
However, on Friday, Mid-Scotland and Fife Labour MSP Dr Richard Simpson lodged a motion with the Scottish Parliament calling on Mr Brown to stand down as convener of Holyrood’s Standards Committee, claiming his position in that role was “untenable”. He also demanded that Mr Brown apologise to the public in Ochil for “inconsistent” statements on the matter.
Dr Simpson said, “We already know that Mr Brown has attempted to deceive the people of Ochil, but what has now came to light is that he has failed to declare this money in the members’ register of interests.
“This is an incredibly serious matter for Mr Brown who should know better as the chairman of the Standards Committee.
“Keith Brown established the moral standard during the election campaign with these statements and it is on those standards that he should be judged upon.
“He effectively made a promise to the people of Ochil and this is yet another in a long line of promises broken by the SNP.”
Mr Banks added, “He [Mr Brown] should be more familiar with the rules than most yet he has deliberately chosen not to declare this money – this is clear deception from a man who knows he has done wrong.
“He was quick to try and convince the people of Ochil that he was a man of integrity during the election but these same morals seem to have deserted him recently.
“At the moment, Mr Brown is cutting a Father Ted like figure around Parliament trying to defend the indefensible. He claims this money is resting in his bank account but I think the people of Ochil know better and hope that Mr Brown is banished to a far flung island just like Father Ted.”
The Labour MP called on Mr Brown to reveal how much of the £15,000 has been distributed to good causes, and to whom, and wanted to know what would happen to any interest accrued on the money.
And he asked for an assurance that the money would not be given to the SNP.
Mr Brown told the Advertiser this week that it had always been his intention to give the money to charity and he had a “structured plan” of how it would be dispersed.
He claimed he never spoke about it publicly before the election in case he was accused of buying votes or after as he didn’t wish to blow his own trumpet.
“I thought it would be best to go quietly about my business,” he said. He plans to reveal the names of the local groups who received the money once it is spent.
Mr Brown continued, “I never contemplated I was not going to win. I was always confident I was going to win and that’s what I’d do with the money. It was public knowledge that I would be receiving the money under the severance scheme, and I stated publicly that I would not accept it.
“I also made it known to work and political colleagues in both the SNP and the Labour Party that I intended to disburse the monies to local groups. If Mr Banks is unaware of this, and I suspect he is not, then he should have checked his facts before resorting to crude smears.
“Every single penny of the money I received is being given to good local causes in my constituency. Those groups that have received money so far are extremely pleased to have done so.”
Stirling Labour Councillor, and former Provost, Colin O’Brien confirmed that Mr Brown was “entirely open” about his intentions prior to the election and that they discussed the matter “several” times.
Mr Brown went on, “The only plausible explanation for his actions is that Mr Banks, who is coming under political pressure locally in regard to his decision to vote for the Labour Government’s post office closure programme – while trying not to look responsible – is desperately flailing around trying to smear others who have called him to account for it. He should not be allowed to hide his betrayal over post offices by this childish tactic.
“As for his former employer, Richard Simpson, the voters of Ochil thought they had seen the last of the man they threw out of Parliament for just this kind of behaviour, including his unforgivable smear on firefighters’ representatives as ‘fascist’, and worse.
“Having skulked back into Parliament from third place on the Labour list, it appears he has learned nothing from his previous outbursts. In fact, it appears this ‘Dastardly Duo’ have learned nothing from the failure of Labour’s negative campaigning at the Scottish elections.”
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