> A Labour MSP will quit Holyrood after a damaging row over her continued friendship with a convicted sex offender.
>Pam Duncan-Glancy will not contest the election after party leader Anas Sarwar effectively issued her with an ultimatum to cut her ties with a disgraced former councillor.
>Sean Morton, a former Labour councillor in Moray, was once considered a rising star in the party but he confessed in 2017 to possessing indecent images including pictures of girls under 15.
>He pled guilty and was given a community payback order which included 140 hours of unpaid work.
>He and Ms Duncan-Glancy were lifelong friends at the time of his conviction, but it was revealed earlier this month they were still friends and had dinner to celebrate the MSP’s recent birthday.
>Ms Duncan-Glancy admitted a “serious lapse in professional judgement” and resigned as Mr Sarwar’s education spokeswoman weeks ago.
>However, she did not say she would sever her ties with Morton and party sources questioned whether she could continue as Labour’s candidate for Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill.
>In a fresh statement, Ms Duncan Glancy has said she will be standing down as a candidate.
>”I am announcing today that I am withdrawing as a candidate for the Scottish Parliamentary election next year,” she said.
>”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.”
>Her decision came after Mr Sarwar made clear the friendship must not continue.
>In an interview with the Record, Mr Sarwar said: “As soon as I became aware of that, I was deeply concerned as you’d imagine. I think it’s important to stress that no one is suggesting there was any illegality from Pam herself, but it wasn’t appropriate to keep that friendship going.
>“It was right that she stepped down from her position and apologised for keeping that friendship going, and our expectation is and our belief is, that that friendship will now come to an end.”
>A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “Pam Duncan-Glancy has withdrawn as a parliamentary candidate for the Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill constituency.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.”
>An SNP spokesman said: “Labour dragged their heels on this – Anas Sarwar should’ve removed Duncan-Glancy as a candidate as soon as this scandal came to light.”
>A party source told the Record Ms Duncan-Glancy’s links to Morton undermined Mr Sarwar’s criticisms of the SNP on law and order.
>Concerns about the relationship between Ms Duncan-Glancy and Morton had first been raised with Scottish Labour by a whistleblower on November 13.
>Following her resignation from the Scottish Labour frontbench at Holryood, Paul O’Kane MSP took up the role as spokesman on education and equalities, while Claire Baker MSP became the spokeswoman for social security.
>Mr Morton praised his close bond with Ms Duncan-Glancy during a Labour conference speech in 2015.
>He said: ““She’s an inspiration to me and to many people in this party. I grew up with Pam.
>”We went to school together in the village that I now represent as a councillor. We were at a school, this school.
>”A couple of geeks sitting in the corner, we struck up a conversation, and 24 years later, it’s still going on.”
She won’t be missed
So farewell Pam. After throwing other disabled people under the bus with your votes, immediately equivocating on GRR reform within moments of it being blocked, and taking the candidacy from someone who was kicked out of the party immediately for suggesting that a second indyref was not unreasonable and staying quiet despite Neil Findlay and Monica Lennon speaking out, I can’t say I’ll miss you. But hey, your decision to be ultimately remembered for this.
Imagine thinking that your friendship with a sex offender is more important than your career?!Â
This is frankly so fucking embarrassing for Pam. The first ever wheelchair user elected as an MSP, has been fiercely outspoken on accessibility in every day life on behalf of 1000s of disabled Scots – all that gone for a nonce?? She’s a disgrace.Â
(Editing bc I’m bored of arguing with ppl being deliberately obtuse in my replies)Â
I had hoped (pre- and immediately post-election) she might turn out to be one of the good ones: it felt like a good thing to have a disabled woman in a parliament that, too often, has been dominated by men dudes.
>Her decision came after Mr Sarwar made clear the friendship must not continue.
Sounds like she made a choice?
iirc, there were elements within the Glasgow Kelvin Labour party that were opposed to her being a candidate, and had refused to campaign for her in a previous election.
Does make you wonder who the “concerned member of the public” was that had told the Daily Record of her still being friends with that guy.
No loss there, awful MSP.
She values a relationship with a sex offender thats quite disturbing.
Always thought there was something off about her.
Ever since she went on BBCQT and blatantly lied about what drugs powers were devolved and then was not picked up on it by the host I have thought she was a bint. Since then she has also voted for cuts to people on benefits. Horrible woman.
She’ll forever go down as being remembered for this and Tweeting non-stop about River City instead of the swingeing benefits cut her party (and she) voted for… oh well. 👋
Another one who supported queer rights, but only while it was safe. No great loss.
Saw this first on the National. She’s just as arrogant as the rest of her colleagues and I found her to be sort of patronising.
She should have stood down from Parliament when she got that title from the British state, as it voided her credibility (in my opinion). But she didn’t and I guess that’s now it for the wee working class wummin fae Glasgow. Toodles, Pamela.
*Greater love hath no man than this, that an MSP lay down her seat for her nonce friend.*
It’s weird, and she’s not really defending it. Presumably she thinks her friend made a mistake and has paid his debt to society or whatever. But I’m not really sure that’s credible
14 comments
Good riddance.
> A Labour MSP will quit Holyrood after a damaging row over her continued friendship with a convicted sex offender.
>Pam Duncan-Glancy will not contest the election after party leader Anas Sarwar effectively issued her with an ultimatum to cut her ties with a disgraced former councillor.
>Sean Morton, a former Labour councillor in Moray, was once considered a rising star in the party but he confessed in 2017 to possessing indecent images including pictures of girls under 15.
>He pled guilty and was given a community payback order which included 140 hours of unpaid work.
>He and Ms Duncan-Glancy were lifelong friends at the time of his conviction, but it was revealed earlier this month they were still friends and had dinner to celebrate the MSP’s recent birthday.
>Ms Duncan-Glancy admitted a “serious lapse in professional judgement” and resigned as Mr Sarwar’s education spokeswoman weeks ago.
>However, she did not say she would sever her ties with Morton and party sources questioned whether she could continue as Labour’s candidate for Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill.
>In a fresh statement, Ms Duncan Glancy has said she will be standing down as a candidate.
>”I am announcing today that I am withdrawing as a candidate for the Scottish Parliamentary election next year,” she said.
>”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.”
>Her decision came after Mr Sarwar made clear the friendship must not continue.
>In an interview with the Record, Mr Sarwar said: “As soon as I became aware of that, I was deeply concerned as you’d imagine. I think it’s important to stress that no one is suggesting there was any illegality from Pam herself, but it wasn’t appropriate to keep that friendship going.
>“It was right that she stepped down from her position and apologised for keeping that friendship going, and our expectation is and our belief is, that that friendship will now come to an end.”
>A Scottish Labour spokesman 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.”
>An SNP spokesman said: “Labour dragged their heels on this – Anas Sarwar should’ve removed Duncan-Glancy as a candidate as soon as this scandal came to light.”
>A party source told the Record Ms Duncan-Glancy’s links to Morton undermined Mr Sarwar’s criticisms of the SNP on law and order.
>Concerns about the relationship between Ms Duncan-Glancy and Morton had first been raised with Scottish Labour by a whistleblower on November 13.
>Following her resignation from the Scottish Labour frontbench at Holryood, Paul O’Kane MSP took up the role as spokesman on education and equalities, while Claire Baker MSP became the spokeswoman for social security.
>Mr Morton praised his close bond with Ms Duncan-Glancy during a Labour conference speech in 2015.
>He said: ““She’s an inspiration to me and to many people in this party. I grew up with Pam.
>”We went to school together in the village that I now represent as a councillor. We were at a school, this school.
>”A couple of geeks sitting in the corner, we struck up a conversation, and 24 years later, it’s still going on.”
She won’t be missed
So farewell Pam. After throwing other disabled people under the bus with your votes, immediately equivocating on GRR reform within moments of it being blocked, and taking the candidacy from someone who was kicked out of the party immediately for suggesting that a second indyref was not unreasonable and staying quiet despite Neil Findlay and Monica Lennon speaking out, I can’t say I’ll miss you. But hey, your decision to be ultimately remembered for this.
Imagine thinking that your friendship with a sex offender is more important than your career?!Â
This is frankly so fucking embarrassing for Pam. The first ever wheelchair user elected as an MSP, has been fiercely outspoken on accessibility in every day life on behalf of 1000s of disabled Scots – all that gone for a nonce?? She’s a disgrace.Â
(Editing bc I’m bored of arguing with ppl being deliberately obtuse in my replies)Â
I had hoped (pre- and immediately post-election) she might turn out to be one of the good ones: it felt like a good thing to have a disabled woman in a parliament that, too often, has been dominated by men dudes.
>Her decision came after Mr Sarwar made clear the friendship must not continue.
Sounds like she made a choice?
iirc, there were elements within the Glasgow Kelvin Labour party that were opposed to her being a candidate, and had refused to campaign for her in a previous election.
Does make you wonder who the “concerned member of the public” was that had told the Daily Record of her still being friends with that guy.
No loss there, awful MSP.
She values a relationship with a sex offender thats quite disturbing.
Always thought there was something off about her.
Ever since she went on BBCQT and blatantly lied about what drugs powers were devolved and then was not picked up on it by the host I have thought she was a bint. Since then she has also voted for cuts to people on benefits. Horrible woman.
She’ll forever go down as being remembered for this and Tweeting non-stop about River City instead of the swingeing benefits cut her party (and she) voted for… oh well. 👋
Another one who supported queer rights, but only while it was safe. No great loss.
Saw this first on the National. She’s just as arrogant as the rest of her colleagues and I found her to be sort of patronising.
She should have stood down from Parliament when she got that title from the British state, as it voided her credibility (in my opinion). But she didn’t and I guess that’s now it for the wee working class wummin fae Glasgow. Toodles, Pamela.
*Greater love hath no man than this, that an MSP lay down her seat for her nonce friend.*
It’s weird, and she’s not really defending it. Presumably she thinks her friend made a mistake and has paid his debt to society or whatever. But I’m not really sure that’s credible
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