BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Alexander quits as Labour leader Alexander quits as Labour leader Wendy Alexander announces her resignation Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander has resigned "with deep regret" after breaking rules on declaring donations. It came as she faced a one-day ban from Holyrood after failing to register donations to her leadership campaign. Ms Alexander said she had acted in "good faith" and on the written advice of the parliamentary authorities. She accused the SNP of waging a "vexatious" campaign against her, without regard for the damage it was doing to the Scottish Parliament. Political opponents The Paisley North MSP said the row had become a distraction from other important issues facing Scotland. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a close ally of Ms Alexander, said she had made an outstanding contribution to the party. Her political opponents said the resignation was a serious blow for Labour. The row centres on donations to her campaign to replace Jack McConnell as Scottish Labour leader last August. It is clear that vexatious complaints will continue to dominate the headlines as long as I remain Labour's Scottish Parliamentary Leader Wendy Alexander Your views: Alexander's resignation Mr McConnell resigned after losing the elections to the SNP in May.

Ms Alexander eventually emerged as the only candidate to replace him but had already raised funds to run a leadership campaign. She previously said she had been told wrongly by clerks to the standards committee it was unnecessary to declare the donations. She later updated her register with details of 10 donors, who each gave about ï¿½1,000 to her campaign. This was after the Scottish parliamentary standards commissioner, Dr Jim Dyer, decided the donations should be treated as gifts. The Holyrood standards committee decided on Thursday to recommend that she be suspended from parliament for one day. Ms Alexander called that decision "partisan" and said she was certain MSPs would overturn it when they returned after the summer recess. Speaking at Scottish Labour's headquarters in Glasgow, Ms Alexander said: "My pursuers have sought the prize of political victory with little thought to the standing of the parliament. Wendy Alexander talks of 'distractions' leading to her resignation "Some may feel they have achieved a political victory but wiser heads will surely question 'at what price?'" Ms Alexander added: "It is clear that vexatious complaints will continue to dominate the headlines as long as I remain Labour's Scottish Parliamentary Leader.

"I cannot ask Labour supporters in Scotland for further forbearance." She later told BBC Scotland that she thought the parliamentary process had been "cynically abused" by political opponents who had used "investigation as political tactic". Ms Alexander admitted she had made mistakes but said there had also been "politically-motivated" complaints". Scottish Labour's deputy leader Cathy Jamieson has taken charge ahead of a leadership contest. The prime minister said: "I want to thank Wendy Alexander, not just for her work in rebuilding the Scottish Labour Party since the last elections but for her commitment to devolution and her part in establishing the Scottish Parliament. "Her dedication to social justice can never be doubted and her contribution - which has been outstanding over the years - will be greatly missed." Decay from within is characteristic of the decline of the New Labour project Nicola Sturgeon Q&A: Donations row Scottish deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon acknowledged it was a difficult decision for Ms Alexander. The Scottish National Party deputy leader said: "While Wendy Alexander has been author of own misfortune, there can be no doubt that the information on her illegal campaign donation could only have come from within the inner circles of the Labour Party.

"Decay from within is characteristic of the decline of the New Labour project, and Wendy Alexander's resignation is a symptom of this wider malaise." Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie said: "This resignation is a further body blow for Gordon Brown and Labour, as they lurch from one crisis to another. "Only the Scottish Conservatives offer a credible opposition to the SNP in Scotland." Scottish Lib Dem leader Nicol Stephen said: "It is sad that Wendy Alexander has been forced to resign in these damaging circumstances. "She has always been respected for her intellect and her commitment to a stronger Scottish Parliament. "But this donations issue has dogged her leadership from the very start." The standards committee ruling was the latest development in the saga of donations to Ms Alexander's leadership campaign. In a separate development, she earlier expressed "deep regret" that her team accepted an illegal ï¿½950 donation from Jersey-based businessman Paul Green. Wendy Alexander to quit Scots parliament at election - BBC News BBC News Wendy Alexander to quit Scots parliament at election 17 February 2011 Image caption Ms Alexander resigned as Scottish Labour leader in 2008 Former Scottish Labour leader and minister Wendy Alexander is quitting parliament at the election.

She has decided not to stand as an MSP in May, citing family reasons. The mother of twins resigned as leader of Scottish Labour in 2008 amid a row over donations to her leadership campaign. Ms Alexander has taken a key role in scrutinising plans to increase the Scottish Parliament's powers. The Paisley North MSP said she was stepping down in order to spend more time with her family and could not commit to another term at Holyrood. Ms Alexander also told BBC Scotland it had been a mistake for her to take on the leadership of Scottish Labour while her children were so young. In a letter to party leader Iain Gray, Ms Alexander said she had made no future plans and it was time for her "to seek a new life, outside active politics". She wrote: "My children turned five this week. The demands of politics mean I could miss out on them growing up. "Many politicians have claimed they wish to 'spend more time with their family'.

In my own case it is quite simply true." She added: "I may be leaving the front line, but you can be assured of my continuing support." Her steering of the Scotland Bill Committee has been a major contribution to our democratic process Annabel Goldie, Scottish Conservative leader A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: "Labour will now start the process to select a new candidate for the Paisley seat. We all wish Wendy the very best for the future." Following Ms Alexander's announcement, First Minister Alex Salmond described her as "the most intellectually substantial figure in the Parliamentary Labour Party in Scotland". Tavish Scott, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said: "Wendy has made a significant contribution to devolution. I worked with her as a minister and as a colleague in the Liberal Democrat-Labour coalition. I appreciated her intellect, her energy and her commitment to Scotland." And Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie said: "Wendy's decision will leave Holyrood the poorer. "I won't pretend that she and I have always seen eye to eye on every issue but her enthusiasm, tenacity and intelligence are priceless assets.

"In particular her steering of the Scotland Bill Committee has been a major contribution to our democratic process." First reshuffle In 2009, Mr Gray predicted a political comeback for his predecessor. But Ms Alexander did not feature in the first major reshuffle of his front bench team at Holyrood. Ms Alexander advised Mr Dewar during his time as secretary of state for Scotland and was part of the team which drafted the Scotland Act, paving the way for devolution. In the first Scottish parliament, she became communities minister and later minister for enterprise. After the 2007 election, Ms Alexander finally seized the opportunity to lead her party. But she resigned in 2008 after failing to declare donations to her leadership campaign on her MSP's register of interest. Ms Alexander has always insisted she acted on the written advice of the parliamentary authorities. Wendy Alexander resigns as leader of Scottish Labour - Telegraph Labour Wendy Alexander resigns as leader of Scottish Labour Scottish Labour Party leader Wendy Alexander has resigned after being found guilty of breaking parliamentary rules on declaring donations to her leadership campaign.

By Keith Perry 11:44AM BST 28 Jun 2008 She said it was with “deep regret” that she was resigning following the decision of the Scottish Parliament’s standards committee. Ms Alexander has come under pressure after breaking donation rules and faces a one-day ban from parliament. She said the breach of the rules was made in “good faith” and the decision of the committee was “partisan” but she respected parliamentary process. The announcement comes after Holyrood’s Standards Committee ruled she should be suspended from Parliament for one day for failing to declare to donations to her leadership campaign. Earlier today, Labour MP David Marshall announced he is to quit the Commons, piling further by-election pressure on under-fire Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Related Articles Wendy Alexander: Scottish Labour leader's resignation statement in full 28 Jun 2008 At a news conference, Ms Alexander struggled to hold back tears as she said she was stepping down as party leader because “I judge that this issue has become too much of a distraction from the real issues that dominate our public life”. Ms Alexander’s departure now presents Labour with the prospect of a leadership contest in Scotland.

She announced her resignation in a statement delivered before TV cameras at Scottish Labour headquarters in Glasgow. Her voice still hoarse from a throat infection, and on the day after her 45th birthday, Ms Alexander announced her decision to resign following the decisions this week of Holyrood’s Standards Committee. Ms Alexander said: “I hope the events of recent days will lead to reflections by all MSPs and parliament officials on the appropriateness, objectivity and effectiveness of our current procedures. “I acted in good faith and the written advice of parliamentary authorities. “I believe there has been a breach of natural justice in a partisan decision,” said Ms Alexander. But she said the parliamentary process - “if not its conclusion” - deserved respect. Acting Scottish Labour party leader Cathy Jamieson said the resignation had been accepted with “deep regret”. Gordon Brown said: "I want to thank Wendy Alexander, not just for her work in rebuilding the Scottish Labour Party since the last elections but for her commitment to devolution and her part in establishing the Scottish Parliament. "Her dedication to social justice can never be doubted and her contribution - which has been outstanding over the years - will be greatly missed." Ms Alexander's departure will trigger a leadership contest to be waged over the summer months.

Possible contenders include former Health Minister Andy Kerr, former Communities Minister Margaret Curran and Iain Gray, who was a minister in the first Scottish parliament who lost his seat in 2003 but was returned to parliament as an MSP in 2007. Scottish Labour Party - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics Top rankings for Scottish Labour Party 13rd Encyclopedia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the part of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland. For other political parties with the same name, see Scottish Labour Party (disambiguation) . Scottish Labour Party Elections Scottish Labour, often described as the Scottish Labour Party, [1] ( Scottish Gaelic : Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba; Scots : Scottis Labour Pairty) is that part of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland .

It is historically the largest political party in modern Scottish politics , having won the largest share of the vote in Scotland at every UK general election since the 1960s, [2] every European Parliament general election from 1979 until defeated by the SNP in 2009 , and in the first two elections to the Scottish Parliament , held in 1999 and 2003 . At the 2007 Scottish Parliament general election the Scottish Labour Party became the second largest party, with a lower share of the vote and with one fewer seat than the Scottish National Party (SNP), who subsequently formed a minority government . Scottish Labour have 46 of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament , 38 of 59 Scottish seats in the UK Parliament , and 2 of 6 Scottish seats in the European Parliament . According to the accounts it submitted to the Electoral Commission the party had an income of £396,195 in 2008, [3] and membership of approximately 18,000.

[4] Contents 9 External links Recent history The party campaigned for the creation of a devolved Scottish Parliament as part of its wider policy of a devolved United Kingdom. In the late 1980s and 1990s it and its representatives participated in the Scottish Constitutional Convention with the Scottish Liberal Democrats , Scottish Green Party , trades unions and churches, and also campaigned for a "Yes-Yes" vote in the 1997 referendum . In the first elections to the Scottish Parliament on 6 May 1999, the Scottish Labour Party, led by Donald Dewar , won 56 seats out of 129, well ahead of their main opponents, the SNP under Alex Salmond , with 27 seats. Not having a majority in Parliament, the party formed a coalition government with the Scottish Liberal Democrats , with Dewar agreeing to their demand for the abolition of up-front tuition fees for university students as the price for a coalition deal. Consequently, on 13 May, Dewar was nominated as First Minister, and was officially appointed by the Queen on 17 May at a ceremony in the Palace of Holyroodhouse .

He later travelled to the Court of Session to be sworn in by the Lord President and receive the Great Seal of Scotland . In April 2000, Dewar was admitted to hospital for tests on his heart, following a previous test where a minor irregularity was discovered. In May 2000, he later had surgery to repair a leaking heart valve, and was forced to take a three month break from Parliament, with Deputy First Minister , Jim Wallace taking over as Acting First Minister. On 10 October 2000, Dewar sustained a fall. He seemed fine at first but later that day suffered a massive brain hemorrhage which was possibly triggered by the anticoagulant medication he was taking after the heart surgery. Donald Dewar died 11 October in Edinburgh's Western General Hospital . After Dewar's death, Henry McLeish was elected as Leader of Scottish Labour, defeating rival Jack McConnell , 27 October 2000 but resigned in 2001 amid a scandal involving the renting of his constituency office and allegations of financial wrongdoings. McLeish felt his resignation would allow the Scottish Labour Party a clean break to prepare for the 2003 Parliamentary elections.

After McLeish's resignation, Jack McConnell quickly emerged as the only candidate, and was elected First Minister by the Parliament on 22 November 2001. Advertisements Main article: Scottish Parliament election, 2007 In the run-up to the 2007 Scottish Parliament general election , McConnell was criticised by many inside and outside of the Labour party for his role in the party's poor start to the campaign with Labour solidly behind the Scottish National Party in many opinion polls. On April 10, McConnell unveiled Scottish Labour's election manifesto, which included plans to scrap water bills for pensioners and reform council tax bandings. The manifesto also proposed a large increase in education spending, which would allow the increasing of the school leaving age to 18 and a reduction in average class sizes to 19. McConnell's ruling Labour Party was defeated by the SNP, both in terms of the popular vote and in numbers of seats. The SNP won 47 seats in the new parliament, whilst the Labour Party won 46, thus securing them a one-seat majority over Labour, but still well short of a majority of the parliament.

On 15 August 2007, McConnell announced his intention to resign as Scottish Labour leader. On 17 August 2007, Wendy Alexander formally launched her campaign for the leadership of the Labour Party in Holyrood. As the only candidate, Alexander was installed as leader of the Labour group in the Scottish Parliament on 14 September 2007. In 2007, a funding scandal developed after it emerged that she had accepted an illegal donation from Paul Green, a property magnate, a matter that was investigated by the Electoral Commission. Further newspaper reports on 30 November indicated Alexander was aware of the identity of the donor, after having sent a personal letter of gratitude to Mr Green (at his home in the tax haven of Jersey) concerning the donation. Accepting a donation from someone who is not registered on the UK electoral roll is illegal under electoral law, and is subject to criminal prosecution. However, the Electoral Commission concluded in February 2008 that Alexander had taken 'significant steps' to comply with funding regulations and decided not to refer the matter to the Procurator Fiscal.

In a separate development, a few days earlier in February 2008, the standards watchdog for Scotland reported Wendy Alexander to the Procurator Fiscal for failing to publicly declare campaign donations. During a TV interview on 4 May 2008, Wendy Alexander performed a major U-turn on previous Scottish Labour Party's policy by seeming to endorse a referendum on Scottish independence , despite previously refusing to support any referendum on the grounds that she did not support independence. During a further TV interview on 6 May 2008 she reiterated this commitment to a referendum and claimed that she had the full backing of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The following day, Gordon Brown denied this was Labour policy and that Wendy Alexander had been misrepresented during Prime Ministers Questions in Westminster. Despite this lack of backing, Wendy Alexander once again reiterated her commitment to a referendum during First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament. On 28 June 2008, Wendy Alexander announced her resignation as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, due to pressure on her following the donation scandal. Cathy Jamieson became interim leader of the Scottish Labour Party until a leadership election could be held.

2008 Glasgow East by-election Main article: Glasgow East by-election, 2008 In late June 2008, David Marshall , MP for the Glasgow East constituency since 1979, resigned on health grounds. The resignation was sudden, however the seat was the 3rd safest Labour seat in the country and at the Westminster general election in 2005, Labour had a 13,057 majority over second placed SNP. In the resultant by-election on 24 July 2008, SNP candidate, serving Glasgow City Council member John Mason managed a spectacular 22.5% swing in the nationalist's favour to win the seat. Iain Gray becomes leader Main articles: Scottish Labour Party leadership election, 2008 and Scottish Labour Party deputy leadership election, 2008 On 1 August 2008, the contest for the new Leader of the Scottish Labour Party began.

The contenders were Iain Gray , MSP for East Lothian former Enterprise Minister in the previous Labour Executive, Andy Kerr , MSP for East Kilbride and former Health Secretary in the previous administration, and Cathy Jamieson MSP, who had been deputy leader under Jack McConnell and caretaker leader since Wendy Alexander resigned following the illegal donation scandal. On 13 September 2008, Iain Gray was elected leader and promised a "fresh start" for Labour in Scotland. 2008 Glenrothes by-election Main article: Glenrothes by-election, 2008 On 13 August 2008, Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Glenrothes in Fife, John MacDougall died, triggering a by-election in a constituency that neighboured both the constituency of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Gordon Brown , and the constituency of Dunfermline and West Fife that had been won by the Liberal Democrats in a by-election in 2006. In the event, Labour held the parliamentary seat, increasing their vote by 3.2%, though with a much reduced majority.

Lindsay Roy became Labour MP for the constituency, on 7 November 2008, defeating the SNP's candidate, Peter Grant, current council leader in Fife, in what was viewed by many as a surprise. Grant had been widely fancied to take the seat and after their stunning success in Glasgow East the SNP were disappointed. The voting was: Lindsay Roy, Labour, 19,946; Peter Grant, SNP 13,209. The Conservative Party which came 3rd with 1,381 votes, the Liberal Democrats with 947 votes and four other candidates lost their deposits. [5] Membership In March 2006 the Scottish Labour Party membership had fallen to 18,800 members,it now stands at 15,000 members down from a peak of approximately 30,000 in the run-up to the 1997 UK general election .

[6] The total annual income of the party in 2005, as registered with the Electoral Commission , [7] was £523,523 (up from £318,609 in 2004), with assets of £169,502. Leaders of Scottish Labour MSPs Leader - Died in Office Secretariat The General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party is Colin Smyth. He succeeded Lesley Quinn, who had been in the position since November 1999. [8] The party has its headquarters at John Smith House, 145 West Regent Street, in the Blythswood Hill district of Glasgow . Conference The party holds an annual conference during February/March each year. Further reading Donald Dewar, Scotland's First Minister, Wendy Alexander, Mainstream , 2005. The Scottish Labour Party, Gerry Hassan, 2003, Edinburgh University Press , ISBN 0-7486-1784-1 Scottish Labour Leaders 1918-1939: A Biographical Dictionary, William Know, Mainstream , 1984.

Dictionary of Labour Biography, Greg Rosen, 2001, Politicos Publishing, ISBN 1902301188 Old Labour to New, Greg Rosen, 2005, Politicos Publishing. John Smith - A Life, Mark Stuart, Politicos Publishing, 2005. See also Scottish Labour Party : definition of Scottish Labour Party and synonyms of Scottish Labour Party (English) Elections The Scottish Labour Party (SLP; branded Scottish Labour) [3] ( Scottish Gaelic : Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba) is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland . The party had held a long dominance over modern Scottish politics , having won the largest share of the vote in Scotland at every UK general election since the 1960s, [4] every European Parliament general election from 1979 until defeated by the SNP in 2009 , and in the first two elections to the Scottish Parliament , held in 1999 and 2003 . For each of these two terms, Scottish Labour entered into a coalition with the Scottish Liberal Democrats , forming a majority Scottish Executive .

In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election the Scottish Labour Party fell back to become the second largest party, with a lower share of the vote and with one fewer seat than the Scottish National Party (SNP), who subsequently formed a minority government . It fell back further but remained the second largest party after the 2011 Scottish Parliament election while the SNP advanced to form the first majority government since a Scottish Parliament was re-established in 1999. Scottish Labour currently hold 37 of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament , 41 of 59 Scottish seats in the House of Commons and 2 of 6 Scottish seats in the European Parliament . Contents Main articles: Labour Party (UK)#Party constitution and structure and Labour Party Rule Book The Scottish Labour Party is formally part of the Labour Party and is registered as an Accounting Unit (AU) with the Electoral Commission . It is not a separately registered party under the terms of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 .

As such the SLP does not have an official "Leader of the Scottish Labour Party", although the constitutional position of Leader of the Labour Group in the Scottish Parliament (analogous to the Westminster Parliamentary Labour Party ) is considered the de facto Scottish Labour leader. Scottish Executive Committee The Scottish Labour Party is administered by the Scottish Executive Committee (SEC), which is responsible to the Labour Party's National Executive Committee (NEC) . The Scottish Executive Committee is made up of representatives of party members, elected members and party affiliates, for example, trade unions and socialist societies.

Party Officers: Leader of the Labour Group in the Scottish Parliament Donald Dewar (7 May 1999 - 11 October 2000) Henry McLeish (27 October 2000 – 8 November 2001) Jack McConnell (22 November 2001 - 15 August 2007) Wendy Alexander (14 September 2007 - 28 June 2008) Iain Gray (13 September 2008 – 17 December 2011) Leader of the Scottish Labour Party Johann Lamont (17 December 2011 – Present) Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party Anas Sarwar (17 December 2011 – Present) Scottish General Secretary As with Welsh Labour , the Scottish Labour Party has its own general secretary which is the administrative head of the party, responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation, and reports to the UK General Secretary of the Labour Party . The current Scottish General Secretary is Colin Smyth, who succeeded Lesley Quinn in 2008. Quinn had been in the position since November 1999.

[5] Headquarters In accordance with the Labour Party Rule Book, the Labour Party operates a regional party office at John Smith House, 145 West Regent Street, in the Blythswood Hill district of Glasgow . Conference The party holds an annual conference during February/March each year. Membership In March 2006 the Scottish Labour Party membership had fallen to 18,800 members, down from a peak of approximately 30,000 in the run-up to the 1997 general election . [6] In September 2010, according to the number of ballot papers issued to party members during the Labour Party (UK) leadership election it emerged that the party had 13,135 members in Scotland. [1] According to the accounts it submitted to the Electoral Commission the party had an income of £396,195 in 2008.

[7] The total annual income of the party in 2005, as registered with the Electoral Commission , [8] was £523,523 (up from £318,609 in 2004), with assets of £169,502. History See also: History of the British Labour Party , Devolution in the United Kingdom , and History of Scottish devolution The Labour Party campaigned for the creation of a devolved Scottish Parliament as part of its wider policy of a devolved United Kingdom. In the late 1980s and 1990s it and its representatives participated in the Scottish Constitutional Convention with the Scottish Liberal Democrats , Scottish Green Party , trades unions and churches, and also campaigned for a "Yes-Yes" vote in the 1997 referendum . 1999-2007 Lib–Lab pact & coalition In the first elections to the Scottish Parliament on 6 May 1999, the Scottish Labour Party, led by Donald Dewar , won 56 seats out of 129, well ahead of their main opponents, the SNP under Alex Salmond , with 35 seats.

Not having a majority in Parliament, the party formed a coalition government with the Scottish Liberal Democrats , with Dewar agreeing to their demand for the abolition of up-front tuition fees for university students as the price for a coalition deal. Consequently, on 13 May, Dewar was nominated as First Minister, and was officially appointed by the Queen on 17 May at a ceremony in Holyrood Palace . He later travelled to the Court of Session to be sworn in by the Lord President and receive the Great Seal of Scotland . In April 2000, Dewar was admitted to hospital for tests on his heart, following a previous test where a minor irregularity was discovered. In May 2000, he later had surgery to repair a leaking heart valve, and was forced to take a three month break from Parliament, with Deputy First Minister , Jim Wallace taking over as Acting First Minister. On 10 October 2000, Dewar sustained a fall. He seemed fine at first but later that day suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage which was possibly triggered by the anticoagulant medication he was taking after the heart surgery. Donald Dewar died 11 October in Edinburgh's Western General Hospital .

After Dewar's death, Henry McLeish was elected as Leader of Scottish Labour, defeating rival Jack McConnell , 27 October 2000 but resigned in 2001 amid a scandal involving the renting of his constituency office and allegations of financial wrongdoings. McLeish felt his resignation would allow the Scottish Labour Party a clean break to prepare for the 2003 Parliamentary elections. After McLeish's resignation, Jack McConnell quickly emerged as the only candidate, and was elected First Minister by the Parliament on 22 November 2001. 2007 Scottish Parliament elections and aftermath Main article: Scottish Parliament election, 2007 In the run-up to the 2007 Scottish Parliament general election , McConnell was criticised by many inside and outside of the Labour party for his role in the party's poor start to the campaign with Labour solidly behind the Scottish National Party (SNP) in many opinion polls. On April 10, McConnell unveiled Scottish Labour's election manifesto, which included plans to scrap (?) bills for pensioners and reform Council Tax .

The manifesto also proposed a large increase in public spending on education, which would allow the increasing of the school leaving age to 18 and a reduction in average class sizes to 19. McConnell's ruling Labour Party was defeated by the SNP, both in terms of the popular vote and in numbers of seats. The SNP won 47 seats in the new parliament, whilst the Labour Party won 46, thus securing them a one-seat majority over Labour, but still well short of a majority of the parliament. On 15 August 2007, McConnell announced his intention to resign as Scottish Labour leader. On 17 August 2007, Wendy Alexander formally launched her campaign for the leadership of the Labour Party in Holyrood. As the only candidate, Alexander was installed as leader of the Labour group in the Scottish Parliament on 14 September 2007. In 2007, a funding scandal developed after it emerged that she had accepted an illegal donation from Paul Green, a property magnate, a matter that was investigated by the Electoral Commission.

Further newspaper reports on 30 November indicated Alexander was aware of the identity of the donor, after having sent a personal letter of gratitude to Mr Green (at his home in the tax haven of Jersey) concerning the donation. Accepting a donation from someone who is not registered on the UK electoral roll is illegal under electoral law, and is subject to criminal prosecution. However, the Electoral Commission concluded in February 2008 that Alexander had taken 'significant steps' to comply with funding regulations and decided not to refer the matter to the Procurator Fiscal. In a separate development, a few days earlier in February 2008, the standards watchdog for Scotland reported Wendy Alexander to the Procurator Fiscal for failing to publicly declare campaign donations. During a TV interview on 4 May 2008, Wendy Alexander performed a major U-turn on previous Scottish Labour Party's policy by seeming to endorse a referendum on Scottish independence , despite previously refusing to support any referendum on the grounds that she did not support independence. During a further TV interview on 6 May 2008 she reiterated this commitment to a referendum and claimed that she had the full backing of current British Prime Minister Gordon Brown .

The following day, Gordon Brown denied this was Labour policy and that Wendy Alexander had been misrepresented during Prime Minister's Questions in Westminster. Despite this lack of backing, Wendy Alexander once again reiterated her commitment to a referendum during First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament. On 28 June 2008, Wendy Alexander announced her resignation as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, due to pressure on her following the donation scandal. Cathy Jamieson became interim leader of the Scottish Labour Party until a leadership election could be held. 2008 Glasgow East by-election Main article: Glasgow East by-election, 2008 In late June 2008, David Marshall , MP for the Glasgow East constituency since 1979, resigned on health grounds. The resignation was sudden, however the seat was the 3rd safest Labour seat in the country and at the Westminster general election in 2005, Labour had a 13,057 majority over second placed SNP. In the resultant by-election on 24 July 2008, SNP candidate, serving Glasgow City Council member John Mason managed a spectacular 22.5% swing in the nationalists' favour to win the seat.

Iain Gray becomes leader Main articles: Scottish Labour Party leadership election, 2008 and Scottish Labour Party deputy leadership election, 2008 On 1 August 2008, the contest for the new Leader of the Scottish Labour Party began. The contenders were Iain Gray , MSP for East Lothian , a former Enterprise Minister in the previous Labour Executive, Andy Kerr , MSP for East Kilbride and former Health Secretary in the previous administration, and Cathy Jamieson MSP, who had been deputy leader under Jack McConnell and caretaker leader since Wendy Alexander resigned following the illegal donation scandal. On 13 September 2008, Iain Gray was elected leader and promised a "fresh start" for Labour in Scotland.

2008 Glenrothes by-election Main article: Glenrothes by-election, 2008 On 13 August 2008, Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Glenrothes in Fife, John MacDougall died, triggering a by-election in a constituency that neighboured both the constituency of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Gordon Brown , and the constituency of Dunfermline and West Fife that had been won by the Liberal Democrats in a by-election in 2006. In the event, Labour held the parliamentary seat, increasing their vote by 3.2%. Lindsay Roy became Labour MP for the constituency, on 7 November 2008, defeating the SNP's candidate, Peter Grant, current council leader in Fife, in what was viewed by many as a surprise. Grant had been widely fancied to take the seat and after their stunning success in Glasgow East the SNP were disappointed. The voting was: Lindsay Roy, Labour, 19,946; Peter Grant, SNP 13,209.

The Conservative Party which came 3rd with 1,381 votes, the Liberal Democrats with 947 votes and four other candidates lost their deposits. [9] 2010 UK general election Main article: United Kingdom general election, 2010 On 6 May 2010, contrary to polls preceding the election, Labour consolidated their vote in Scotland, losing no seats (despite losing 91 seats across the rest of Britain) and recovering Glasgow East from the SNP. This resulted in incumbent Scottish secretary Jim Murphy stating that the result provided an impetus for Scottish Labour to attempt to become "the biggest party in Holyrood" in the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections. [10] After the Glenrothes election, controversy and speculation mounted after it was revealed the voting register had gone missing and an unusual number of postal votes. [11] 2011 Scottish Parliament election Main article: Scottish Parliament election, 2011 The Scottish Labour Party lost seven seats compared to the notional 2007 result although its share of the constituency vote declined by less than 1%.

Party leader Iain Gray announced that he would be resigning with effect from later in the year. 2011 Inverclyde by-election Main article: Inverclyde by-election, 2011 The seat of Inverclyde was held by David Cairns until his death on 9 May 2011. The resulting by-election held on 30 June, was won comfortably with a 5,838 majority by Scottish Labour candidate Iain McKenzie despite several high profile campaign visits by SNP First Minister, Alex Salmond and the SNP coming within 511 votes of winning the nearest equivalent seat in the Holyrood elections a matter of weeks previously. Coupled with the 2010 UK General Election results, this suggests that Scottish Labour's disappointing performance in the 2011 Scottish Parliament Election does not necessarily translate into support for its political opponents in other elections. Murphy/Boyack Review Following the 2011 Scottish election, Ed Miliband commissioned a review of the future structure and operation of the Labour Party in Scotland, co-chaired by Jim Murphy MP and Sarah Boyack MSP.

2011 Scottish Labour leadership election On 17 December 2011, Johann Lamont MSP was newly elected as leader and Anas Sarwar MP elected as her deputy. Scottish Labour elected representatives (current) House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Map of Scottish Labour Party - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki Top rankings for Scottish Labour Party 13rd Wikipedia article: Map showing all locations mentioned on Wikipedia article: Scottish Labour, often described as the Scottish Labour Party, ( ; ) is that part of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland . It is historically the largest political party in modern Scottish politics , having won the largest share of the vote in Scotland at every UK general election since the 1960s, every European Parliament general election from 1979 until defeated by the SNP in 2009 , and in the first two elections to the Scottish Parliament , held in 1999 and 2003 . At the 2007 Scottish Parliament general election the Scottish Labour Party became the second largest party, with a lower share of the vote and with one fewer seat than the Scottish National Party (SNP), who subsequently formed a minority government .

, and 2 of 6 Scottish seats in the European Parliament . According to the accounts it submitted to the Electoral Commission the party had an income of £396,195 in 2008, and membership of approximately 18,000. Recent history The party campaigned for the creation of a devolved Scottish Parliament as part of its wider policy of a devolved United Kingdom. In the late 1980s and 1990s it and its representatives participated in the Scottish Constitutional Convention with the Scottish Liberal Democrats , Scottish Green Party , trades unions and churches, and also campaigned for a "Yes-Yes" vote in the 1997 referendum . In the first elections to the Scottish Parliament on 6 May 1999, the Scottish Labour Party, led by Donald Dewar , won 56 seats out of 129, well ahead of their main opponents, the SNP under Alex Salmond , with 27 seats. Not having a majority in Parliament, the party formed a coalition government with the Scottish Liberal Democrats , with Dewar agreeing to their demand for the abolition of up-front tuition fees for university students as the price for a coalition deal.

Consequently, on 13 May, Dewar was nominated as First Minister, and was officially appointed by the Queen on 17 May at a ceremony in the Palace of Holyroodhouse . He later travelled to the Court of Session to be sworn in by the Lord President and receive the Great Seal of Scotland . In April 2000, Dewar was admitted to hospital for tests on his heart, following a previous test where a minor irregularity was discovered. In May 2000, he later had surgery to repair a leaking heart valve, and was forced to take a three month break from Parliament, with Deputy First Minister , Jim Wallace taking over as Acting First Minister. On 10 October 2000, Dewar sustained a fall. He seemed fine at first but later that day suffered a massive brain hemorrhage which was possibly triggered by the anticoagulant medication he was taking after the heart surgery. Donald Dewar died 11 October in Edinburgh's Western General Hospital .

After Dewar's death, Henry McLeish was elected as Leader of Scottish Labour, defeating rival Jack McConnell , 27 October 2000 but resigned in 2001 amid a scandal involving the renting of his constituency office and allegations of financial wrongdoings. McLeish felt his resignation would allow the Scottish Labour Party a clean break to prepare for the 2003 Parliamentary elections. After McLeish's resignation, Jack McConnell quickly emerged as the only candidate, and was elected First Minister by the Parliament on 22 November 2001. 2007 Scottish Parliament elections and aftermath In the run-up to the 2007 Scottish Parliament general election , McConnell was criticised by many inside and outside of the Labour party for his role in the party's poor start to the campaign with Labour solidly behind the Scottish National Party in many opinion polls. On April 10, McConnell unveiled Scottish Labour's election manifesto, which included plans to scrap water bills for pensioners and reform council tax bandings. The manifesto also proposed a large increase in education spending, which would allow the increasing of the school leaving age to 18 and a reduction in average class sizes to 19.

McConnell's ruling Labour Party was defeated by the SNP, both in terms of the popular vote and in numbers of seats. The SNP won 47 seats in the new parliament, whilst the Labour Party won 46, thus securing them a one-seat majority over Labour, but still well short of a majority of the parliament. On 15 August 2007, McConnell announced his intention to resign as Scottish Labour leader. On 17 August 2007, Wendy Alexander formally launched her campaign for the leadership of the Labour Party in Holyrood. As the only candidate, Alexander was installed as leader of the Labour group in the Scottish Parliament on 14 September 2007. In 2007, a funding scandal developed after it emerged that she had accepted an illegal donation from Paul Green, a property magnate, a matter that was investigated by the Electoral Commission. Further newspaper reports on 30 November indicated Alexander was aware of the identity of the donor, after having sent a personal letter of gratitude to Mr Green (at his home in the tax haven of Jersey) concerning the donation.

Accepting a donation from someone who is not registered on the UK electoral roll is illegal under electoral law, and is subject to criminal prosecution. However, the Electoral Commission concluded in February 2008 that Alexander had taken 'significant steps' to comply with funding regulations and decided not to refer the matter to the Procurator Fiscal. In a separate development, a few days earlier in February 2008, the standards watchdog for Scotland reported Wendy Alexander to the Procurator Fiscal for failing to publicly declare campaign donations. During a TV interview on 4 May 2008, Wendy Alexander performed a major U-turn on previous Scottish Labour Party's policy by seeming to endorse a referendum on Scottish independence , despite previously refusing to support any referendum on the grounds that she did not support independence. During a further TV interview on 6 May 2008 she reiterated this commitment to a referendum and claimed that she had the full backing of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The following day, Gordon Brown denied this was Labour policy and that Wendy Alexander had been misrepresented during Prime Ministers Questions in Westminster. Despite this lack of backing, Wendy Alexander once again reiterated her commitment to a referendum during First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament.

On 28 June 2008, Wendy Alexander announced her resignation as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, due to pressure on her following the donation scandal. Cathy Jamieson became interim leader of the Scottish Labour Party until a leadership election could be held. 2008 Glasgow East by-election In late June 2008, David Marshall , MP for the Glasgow East constituency since 1979, resigned on health grounds. The resignation was sudden, however the seat was the 3rd safest Labour seat in the country and at the Westminster general election in 2005, Labour had a 13,057 majority over second placed SNP. In the resultant by-election on 24 July 2008, SNP candidate, serving Glasgow City Council member John Mason managed a spectacular 22.5% swing in the nationalist's favour to win the seat. Iain Gray becomes leader On 1 August 2008, the contest for the new Leader of the Scottish Labour Party began.

The contenders were Iain Gray , MSP for East Lothian former Enterprise Minister in the previous Labour Executive, Andy Kerr , MSP for East Kilbride and former Health Secretary in the previous administration, and Cathy Jamieson MSP, who had been deputy leader under Jack McConnell and caretaker leader since Wendy Alexander resigned following the illegal donation scandal. On 13 September 2008, Iain Gray was elected leader and promised a "fresh start" for Labour in Scotland. 2008 Glenrothes by-election in Fife, John MacDougall died, triggering a by-election in a constituency that neighboured both the constituency of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Gordon Brown , and the constituency of Dunfermline and West Fife that had been won by the Liberal Democrats in a by-election in 2006. In the event, Labour held the parliamentary seat, increasing their vote by 3.2%, though with a much reduced majority. Lindsay Roy became Labour MP for the constituency, on 7 November 2008, defeating the SNP's candidate, Peter Grant, current council leader in Fife, in what was viewed by many as a surprise.

Grant had been widely fancied to take the seat and after their stunning success in Glasgow East the SNP were disappointed. The voting was: Lindsay Roy, Labour, 19,946; Peter Grant, SNP 13,209. The Conservative Party which came 3rd with 1,381 votes, the Liberal Democrats with 947 votes and four other candidates lost their deposits. Membership In March 2006 the Scottish Labour Party membership had fallen to 18,800 members,it now stands at 15,000 members down from a peak of approximately 30,000 in the run-up to the 1997 UK general election . The total annual income of the party in 2005, as registered with the Electoral Commission , was £523,523 (up from £318,609 in 2004), with assets of £169,502.

Leaders of Scottish Labour MSPs Leader BBC News Online | Scotland | Timeline: Alexander donations row Timeline: Alexander donations row 28 Jun 08 11:02 Wendy Alexander has quit as Scottish Labour leader following a row over donations to her leadership campaign. She was cleared by the Electoral Commission over an illegal donation from Jersey-based businessman Paul Green. Separately, prosecutors decided not to bring a case against Ms Alexander for failing to record gifts to her campaign in the MSPs' register of interests - but Holyrood's standards committee recommended she should be banned from parliament for a day for breaking the rules. Here is how events unfolded. SATURDAY 28 JUNE, 2008 Ms Alexander makes her resignation statement at the party's Scottish headquarters. THURSDAY 26 JUNE, 2008 The standards committee recommends Ms Alexander be banned from parliament for one day after breaking donation rules. Labour leader faces one-day ban The committee, which spends more than two hours meeting in private, is split on taking action against her, but eventually votes to recommend the ban by four votes to three abstentions.

But, with the Scottish Parliament in summer recess, Ms Alexander will have to wait until September to learn her fate, when MSPs are asked to vote on the recommendations. WEDNESDAY 25 JUNE, 2008 The Scottish Parliament's standards committee rules that Wendy Alexander broke parliament rules by failing to register donations on her MSPs' register of interests. The cross-party committee takes its decision by five votes to two - but Ms Alexander again insists she has acted in good faith over the issue. She says history has shown she had always complied with the rules on the register of interests. SATURDAY 15 MARCH, 2008 Weekend reports claim she raised £12,000 for one of her election campaigns from events run by a front organisation in 2002. FRIDAY 8 FEBRUARY, 2008 A Nationalist MSP accuses the Electoral Commission of a whitewash after it decides not to report Ms Alexander to prosecutors. Alex Neil claims the watchdog has shown itself to be incompetent by failing to refer Ms Alexander for accepting an "impermissible donation". Labour MSP Lord George Foulkes says Mr Neil is a bad loser.

THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY, 2008 Alexander cleared over donations It concludes that she took significant steps to comply with the law - but did not take "all reasonable steps". The commission says it is not in the public interest to refer the case to the Crown Office or the procurator fiscal. It says no further action should be taken. MONDAY 4 FEBRUARY, 2008 Jim Sillars, a former SNP deputy leader, says Wendy Alexander should receive an apology from Dr Dyer. The former Nationalist MP describes the move as "astonishing", but Dr Dyer points out that he is required to take such action if any alleged rule breach may be an offence. SUNDAY 3 FEBRUARY, 2008 It emerges that Dr Dyer has reported Ms Alexander to prosecutors for failing to publicly declare campaign donations. Alexander reported over donations Ms Alexander insists she followed the guidance at every stage, and resists further opposition calls for her to quit the leadership. It also emerges that Labour MSP Andy Kerr has been reported, for late registration of hospitality he received at a weekend event. The former Scottish health minister said his actions "simply boiled down to error".

FRIDAY 1 FEBRUARY, 2008 Holyrood's standards watchdog, Dr Jim Dyer, tells Ms Alexander she needs to declare donations to her leadership campaign. Alexander 'should list' donations The Scottish Labour leader says parliament officials told her donations did not have to be recorded in her MSP register of interests. But, after taking legal advice, Dr Dyer says donations worth more than £520 are classed as "gifts" and should have been declared. SATURDAY 26 JANUARY, 2008 Des Browne, the UK Scottish secretary, says there will be no further resignations of prominent Labour politicians over the donations row. But Mr Browne also tells BBC Scotland's Politics Show: "I am not anticipating that anyone else will be reported to the police." THURSDAY 24 JANUARY, 2008 Peter Hain resigns as UK Work and Pensions Secretary, saying he wants to clear his name, as the police investigate more than £100,000 of undeclared donations to his deputy Labour leadership campaign.

Alexander 'confident' of position Ms Alexander denies the event will cause a "domino effect" throughout the Labour Party - a prospect raised by first minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond. Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission says it will "take as long as is necessary" to reach a decision on the Alexander case. FRIDAY 7 DECEMBER, 2007 Following his comments two days earlier, Mr Gordon says he plans to remain as the MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, despite his role in the controversy. Mr Gordon says he will deal with whatever arises from the Electoral Commission "in due course". WEDNESDAY 5 DECEMBER, 2007 The Electoral Commission watchdog looking into the illegal donation confirms it has received information from Ms Alexander's office. Watchdog given Alexander details Labour says Ms Alexander supplied a "huge amount" of documents to aid the inquiry, which the commission says will be reviewed. BBC Scotland also reports its understanding that the £950 cheque was made out to the WA Campaign and not Wendy Alexander. This prompts Edinburgh University public law lecturer Navraj Ghaleigh to say that this could make campaign treasurer David Whitton liable.

TUESDAY 4 DECEMBER, 2007 Alexander defies calls to quit Speaking to journalists outside the Scottish Parliament, she acknowledges that mistakes have been made - but vows to fight on to clear her name. Ms Alexander is given "unanimous" backing by Labour MSPs during one of their regular meetings at Holyrood, according to Labour MSP Duncan McNeil. Meanwhile, Charlie Gordon reveals that he will soon make a decision on his political future, but declines to be drawn on whether he intends to quit as the MSP for Glasgow Cathcart. In a separate development, Paul Green condemns "gross mismanagement" at the top of Scottish Labour. He tells BBC Scotland that his donation was clearly a personal cheque. MONDAY 3 DECEMBER, 2007 As political opponents keep the pressure on Ms Alexander to resign the leadership, a former standards watchdog, Sir Alistair Graham, tells BBC Scotland that she must seriously consider her position. Alexander urged to consider going Sir Alistair says Ms Alexander should think about stepping back from the job while working to clear her name. Meanwhile, Two labour peers ask police to investigate the leak of a list of donors to the Sunday Herald newspaper.

Lord Maxton and Baroness Adams - the former MPs John Maxton and Irene Adams - both gave money to Wendy Alexander's leadership campaign, but say that because their donations were under £1,000 they should have been able to remain anonymous under election law. SUNDAY 2 DECEMBER, 2007 Ms Alexander says she intends to carry on as Scottish Labour leader, despite continued pressure for her to quit over the donation. Alexander to continue as leader Her comments come after the Sunday Herald newspaper suggests her campaign team was aware early last month that it may not be permissible. In a statement, Ms Alexander rejects any suggestion of "intentional wrongdoing" and says she is "confident" of being exonerated by the electoral watchdog. Meanwhile, the SNP's Mark Hirst complains to police about the matter "as a private individual". SNP deputy leader and Scottish deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon says Ms Alexander's position looks "untenable". Ms Sturgeon suggests Ms Alexander is staying in post to act as a "human shield" for Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The comments come amid the investigation into donations of more than £650,000 to Labour, made by property developer David Abrahams using other people's names. FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER, 2007 Wendy Alexander makes a speech in Edinburgh on the future of devolution and is questioned about the donations. Alexander wrote to illegal donor "I deeply regret that this situation has occurred", she says, and adds that the matter is being studied by The Electoral Commission, which has by now widened its probe into a study of all the £17,000 donated to her campaign. Meanwhile, Mr Green says Ms Alexander wrote a thank you letter in October to his address in Jersey and reveals he gave a donation of £950 to the Glasgow South party five months previously, in April. This came after an approach from Mr Gordon, who says he may have made a similar error of interpretation on that occasion. In a further twist, the Scottish Labour Party says it had turned down the offer of a donation in the past from Mr Green because he was not registered as an elector. It did not know of the Glasgow South donation and, if it had, would have advised that the money be refused.

Labour also confirms that Ms Alexander had "regulated donee" status, making her legally liable. THURSDAY 29 NOVEMBER, 2007 Labour MSP Charlie Gordon quits as the party's transport spokesman in the Scottish Parliament, after admitting to two blunders over the £950 donation. He says he told the campaign team the donation was "under the auspices" of a Glasgow firm, Combined Property Services, and that Mr Green had a controlling interest in it. "Unfortunately I was wrong in both these assumptions," says Mr Gordon. Mr McCabe says full details only became clear at 1300 GMT that day and admits: "Clearly there has been a breach of the law as it stands." Mr Green issues a statement later stating that he was asked by Mr Gordon to give £950 and was assured this was within the rules. "Relying on that confirmation, I made the donation from my personal account," Mr Green added. WEDNESDAY 28 NOVEMBER, 2007 Ms Alexander's campaign manager, Tom McCabe, issues a statement naming the supporter as Paul Green and says it was indicated to Mr Green that only a UK resident or UK registered company could donate.

"We acted in good faith," said Mr McCabe. SUNDAY 25 NOVEMBER, 2007 Ms Alexander refuses to say whether she returned a leadership campaign donation of under £1,000 to a tax exile in the Channel Islands, the Sunday Herald newspaper reports. It also says that she declined to release the name of the supporter, or to publish a full list of her backers in the Labour leadership campaign. FRIDAY 14 SEPTEMBER, 2007 Wendy Alexander is officially named as Scottish Labour leader, beginning her new job by immediately setting out major party reforms. The rising Labour star who fell back to earth | UK news | The Guardian The Observer The rising Labour star who fell back to earth Wendy Alexander was the brave new broom who would sweep Labour back to power at Holyrood.

Nine months on, the winning smile has gone Saturday 28 June 2008 19.01 EDT First published on Saturday 28 June 2008 19.01 EDT Share on Messenger Close Nine months ago, when Wendy Alexander was anointed as successor to Jack McConnell in the wake of Labour's unexpected and embarrassing defeat to the Nationalists in the Scottish parliament elections, she was hailed as the best hope for Labour, which regarded itself as 'the natural party of government' rather than opposition. Alexander promised that her leadership would be the first steps in the journey back to power. However, instead of the glorious resurrection of fortunes, her tenure as leader has been dogged by poor performance and an inability to curb the growing popularity of the nationalists. Then came the row over campaign donations. Yesterday she announced her resignation in a statement delivered before television cameras at Scottish Labour headquarters in Glasgow. Her voice still hoarse from a throat infection, and on the day after her 45th birthday, her decision comes after Holyrood's standards committee ruled she should be suspended from parliament for one day for failing to declare to donations to her leadership campaign.

'I hope the events of recent days will lead to reflections by all MSPs and parliament officials on the appropriateness, objectivity and effectiveness of our current procedures,' she said. 'I acted in good faith and the written advice of parliamentary authorities. I believe there has been a breach of natural justice in a partisan decision.' Later, in an interview with the BBC, she predicted she would be cleared by the Scottish parliament. 'I have spoken to many colleagues since the standards committee made its decision. I feel confident that the parliament will overturn that decision when it returns,' she said. 'The important decision for me was that the causes which all of us in the Labour party represent move back to the top of the political agenda and the distractions are put in their proper place.' When asked if she believed the process of the standards committee had worked correctly, she said: 'I don't doubt that there will be some people who think today that they have achieved political victory. But I also don't doubt that the wiser heads in Scottish politics and Scottish Labour will ask, at what price?' Alexander said she now planned to continue to represent her constituency of Paisley North and was looking forward to spending time with her family over the summer.

Alexander joined the party as a schoolgirl and was for years considered a rising star in Scottish politics. Regarded as a consummate politician brought up in the traditionalist ideals of socialism and one of Labour's great thinkers, when she was declared leader last year it was claimed her famous attention to policy detail would be more than a match for Alex Salmond's broad-brush approach. A close confidante of Gordon Brown, sister of International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander and a former protégé of the late Donald Dewar, she was paraded as Labour's best hope to stop the Scottish Nationalists' march towards independence. Unfortunately, in nine months she hardly managed to land a glove on Salmond during their frequent spats at First Minister's Questions, to the extent that she was accused by critics of lacking the killer instinct needed. A series of unfortunate events, including abstaining on the budget even though Labour's own amendments had been adopted, and her recent 'flip-flopping' over the issue of an independence referendum, conspired to keep Labour almost permanently on the back foot.

Compared with Salmond, the Labour leader was considered to be aloof from ordinary people, and recent polls suggested that just 21 per cent of voters considered she was doing a good job, while 60 per cent thought she was doing a bad one. Turning around a party that found it hard to accept it had lost the election in the first place was never going to be easy. Less than a fortnight after officially becoming leader, and to the embarrassment of some colleagues, she apologised to delegates at the Labour party's national conference for defeat in last May's Scottish parliament election. On the same day one of her key aides, Brian Lironi, announced he was quitting his job amid rumours of a personality clash. Although suggestions of a rift between the two were denied, Alexander's reputation for impatience, haranguing opponents and force of personality which earned her the nickname of the 'human tornado', preceded her. Renowned for reeling off ideas, strategies and engaging in debates with rapid speed, she has been accused of impatience with anyone who fails to keep up.

During her previous incarnation as a minister some officials asked not to work with her, and it was said that those on the receiving end of her sometimes harshly critical harangues nicknamed the experience as being 'Wendied'. In November last year Lironi's replacement Matthew Marr also resigned following an ugly incident when he was heard to utter a four-letter insult about the First Minister at a formal function. Last month her relationship with Prime Minister Gordon Brown was tested when, to the surprise of colleagues, she suddenly urged the Nationalists to hold a snap referendum on independence in direct contradiction to previous Labour policy. However, it was a relatively minor incident seven months ago, leaked from inside the Labour party, which finally led to her resignation yesterday. Last November it was revealed she had accepted a leadership campaign donation of under £1,000 from a tax exile in the Channel Islands. Initially Alexander's supporters refused to comment, but three days later, under growing pressure, her campaign manager Tom McCabe, named the donor as Jersey-based businessman Paul Green, and said there had been an honest mistake.

As a tax exile Green is prohibited from making personal donations to a UK political party, but Alexander's camp said they believed the money had come from a UK-based company belonging to Green, and was therefore perfectly legal. However, further revelations that Alexander had written a personal letter of thanks to Green at his private Jersey address raised serious doubt about who knew what and when about the legality of the donation. Within 24 hours Charles Gordon resigned as Labour shadow transport minister after taking full responsibility for the error in soliciting the £950 donation. However, instead of relieving the pressure on Alexander, the situation became worse when the electoral commission announced a probe into all the £17,000 donated to her campaign. It was not until February of this year that the electoral commission announced its decision not to report her to prosecutors over the donation, and said they were satisfied she had taken significant steps to comply with the law. She and her supporters claimed it was a vindication and in March the Crown Office confirmed she would not be prosecuted for failing to register donations to the leadership campaign.

The matter might have ended there but for an investigation by Dr Jim Dyer, the parliament's independent Standards Commissioner, who was forced to examine the case following a complaint from an SNP activist. Matters finally came to a head on Wednesday last week when the Holyrood Standards Committee ruled Alexander had broken the rules by failing to declare promptly leadership campaign donations on her Holyrood register of interests. Despite protests that she had received conflicting advice from parliamentary officers about the need to register the donations, the committee voted to suspend her from the chamber for one day as a punishment to be verified by the whole parliament. Faced with the prospect of having to wait another two months to see whether her fellow parliamentarians would endorse the ban, making her the first party leader in history to be banned from the chamber, she decided to quit. Cathy Jamieson, Labour's deputy leader, who will take over until a successor is elected, said Alexander's resignation had been accepted 'with deep regret'. 'Ever since this process began, anybody who knows Wendy Alexander has not for one minute questioned her integrity,' said Jamieson. 'With this decision she has put the Scottish Parliament and the Labour party above her own personal interests. This has profound implications for all MSPs.

The procedure has been abused and manipulated for political ends.' John Curtice, Professor in Politics at the University of Strathclyde said Alexander was not the first person to have fallen foul of the rules. 'Sometimes this is down to dishonesty but most of the time it is a case of "oh dear, I didn't realise",' he said. 'It may not be a defence in law but is arguably a defensive argument. 'The whole situation raises questions about the procedures of parliament and people's motivations for using the rules. The consequence of this will be that the first time the Labour party can find something to pin on somebody within the SNP they will go mercilessly for it. 'You can almost guarantee that at some point in the next four or five years somebody within the SNP will make a mistake.' Alexander given one-day ban for failing to declare donations | Politics | The Guardian Alexander given one-day ban for failing to declare donations Wendy Alexander speaking in the Scottish parliament on May.

Photograph: David Cheskin/PA Wire Thursday 26 June 2008 19.01 EDT First published on Thursday 26 June 2008 19.01 EDT Share on Messenger Close The Scottish Labour leader, Wendy Alexander, narrowly survived a potentially fatal blow to her political career yesterday when a committee of the Scottish parliament handed her a minor punishment for breaching its rules on donations. The decision came on the day Scotland Yard announced it was handing over to the Crown Prosecution Service the file on its investigation into whether Labour broke the law by accepting £650,000 in donations from intermediaries to hide the fact that David Abrahams, a Newcastle property developer, was a big donor. Holyrood's parliamentary standards committee voted to suspend Ms Alexander for just one day for failing to declare £10,000 in donations to her party leadership campaign last year. Three Scottish National party MSPs and one Liberal Democrat MSP voted for the suspension, while the two Labour MSPs and one Tory MSP on the committee abstained. The vote must now be ratified by the full parliament after it returns from its summer recess in September, and that is by no means assured.

Labour and Tory MSPs, as well as the independent MSP Margo MacDonald, are expected to vote down the committee's decision, leaving the SNP's 47 MSPs relying on the Greens' two votes for a majority large enough to pass the censure motion. The committee's decision is the latest narrow escape for Alexander. After she admitted her campaign team should have disclosed the donations, she avoided prosecution earlier this year when the Electoral Commission and the Crown Office decided she had no case to answer. All seven MSPs on the committee agreed the case was complex. Alexander had sought guidance from Holyrood officials, who wrongly said she did not need to declare the gifts, and legal advice on her failure to declare was divided. Keith Brown, the SNP chair of the committee, said: "I think these facts should be taken in mitigation ... however, it is up to each member to make a declaration." In London Labour will be anxiously waiting the result of the CPS deliberations on the Scotland Yard investigation.

Scotland Yard said: "We have had regular consultation with the CPS since the inquiry began on November 30 2007 and it is now a matter for the CPS to consider the evidence, advise us on whether any further inquiries are necessary and whether any charges should be brought." Peter Watt resigned as Labour's general secretary after it emerged that he knew Abrahams had donated money to the party via friends and colleagues to keep his own name secret.

Question: Who was the Scottish Labour Party leader, who resigned in June 2008, after failing to declare donation to her leadership campaign in 2007?
Answer: WENDY ALEXANDER