Having heard that the funds were not entered on Alexander’s register of interest, Holyrood’s Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee voted by five votes to two.  The committee will make a decision on what possible sanctions may be imposed against the Labour leader tomorrow. 

Alexander defended her conduct saying that she acted in good faith. In a letter to the committee she stated that she had not registered the gifts following advice from the parliament standards experts but quickly took action to do so after receiving subsequent advice. 

The Paisley North MSP explained that parliament officials wrongly advised her that she did not have to declare donations but later updated her register with details of 10 donors of about £1000 each.  She said she acted after Scottish parliamentary Standards Commissioner Dr. Jim Dyer decided the donations should be treated as gifts following advice he received from a senior QC.   

The SNP welcomed the news of the Labour leader’s reprimand.  Roseanna Cunningham MSP said:

“Wendy Alexander and Scottish Labour have been irreparably damaged by this protracted scandal.  Her credibility is in tatters, and is unlikely ever to recover.

“What is clear from the Commissioner’s report is that no attempt to declare these donations was made until Wendy Alexander was well past the 30 day deadline for registration and that she had a “beneficial interest” from the funding of her campaign.

“The Commissioner and the Standards Committee have made their decision on the basis of the evidence, and will now decide if Ms Alexander should face any sanctions for this breach.”