Kezia Dugdale will not be suspended by Labour for appearing on 'I'm a Celebrity'
2 min read
Scottish Labour has confirmed that former party leader Kezia Dugdale will not be suspended over her decision to appear on 'I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here'.
The MSP has faced the wrath of her colleagues in recent days after taking up the reality TV offer without the permission of party bosses.
On Saturday, just hours after winning the contest to succeed Ms Dugdale, Richard Leonard said he was “disappointed” in her decision and said suspension could be on the cards.
However Mr Leonard was later contradicted by UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who suggested such a move would not be “appropriate”.
The party said today that following discussions among MSPs, Ms Dugdale would not be suspended, but that she will be forced to explain her decision to colleagues on her return.
In a statement, Scottish Labour’s business manager, James Kelly said: “The Scottish Parliamentary Labour group today discussed the decision of Kezia Dugdale to take an unauthorised leave of absence from her parliamentary duties.
"Today, the group concluded that Kezia Dugdale would not face suspension.
"In accordance with standard procedure, Kezia Dugdale will be interviewed on her return to Parliament and have the opportunity to present her account of events.”
A number of Labour MSPs rounded on their former boss, including Mr Sarwar, who said he would have preferred her to remain in parliament “focusing on education, the NHS, and employability, rather than kangaroo testicles.”
Elsewhere, former leadership challenger Neil Findlay said she had taken an “utterly ludicrous” position, while Jenny Marra tweeted that elected office should not be treated as a “shortcut to celebrity”.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
