McConnell is sold out by Holyrood over Malawi charity calendars

IT would never have happened when he was First Minister.

But Jack McConnell has fallen foul of the Scottish Parliament's "petty-minded bureaucrats" after being refused permission by Holyrood bosses to sell a charity calendar.

The now backbench MSP, who counts launching a special programme to help tackle poverty in Malawi as one of his proudest achievements, wanted the parliament shop to sell the £5 calendar to raise money for the African country.

But the parliament's corporate body vetoed the move, insisting the only charity the parliament supports is the Poppy Scotland Appeal.

Mr McConnell took matters into his own hands and set up a stall in the corridor outside his office to sell the calendars himself to fellow politicians, staff and researchers. In just one day, he sold 140.

Mr McConnell was said to be "disappointed" by the corporate body's decision, but did not want to get into a public row with them.

Lothians Labour MSP George Foulkes, however, said the shop ban was "disgraceful". He said: "It's absolutely typical of the pettifogging bureaucracy in the Scottish Parliament. I have never come across such petty-minded bureaucrats. It's absolutely ludicrous."

During his six years as First Minister, Mr McConnell enthusiastically revived Scotland's 150-year-old links with the African country. It led to the creation of a cross-party group of MSPs on Malawi.

The calendars have been produced by Edinburgh midwife Linda McDonald. She said: "You win some, you lose some. I just thought it would be a good place to sell them."

A parliament spokeswoman said: "The corporate body was very sympathetic to Mr McConnell's request. It does acknowledge the special relationship with Malawi and has asked staff to consider various ways to demonstrate it, but the charity policy remains that we only support Poppy Scotland."