Doubt over Wendy liability

WENDY ALEXANDER may not after all be legally liable for a dodgy donation to her leadership campaign, it was claimed today.

It is now understood the £950 cheque from Jersey-based businessman Paul Green was made out to the W.A. Campaign, and not to Ms Alexander herself.

And that could make Ms Alexander's campaign treasurer David Whitton the person responsible for checking the legality of the contribution. However, Ms Alexander has already publicly accepted she had a legal duty to check donations and has promised evidence of her efforts to fulfil this requirement.

Mr Green's donation broke electoral law because he is not a registered UK voter. It was solicited by Glasgow MSP Charlie Gordon, who has explained he wrongly believed the money was being routed through a UK company, which would have made it legal.

Mr Gordon quit as Labour's transport spokesman at Holyrood after the matter came to light and there is speculation he might quit as an MSP later this week.

But Navraj Ghaleigh, lecturer in public law at Edinburgh University, said: "If the cheque was made out, not to Ms Alexander, but to this campaigning group, then it would appear that that organisation and its treasurer are liable, and not Ms Alexander."

Last week the Scottish Labour Party said Ms Alexander had "regulated donee" status. Under the law on political donations, "regulated donees" are barred from accepting donations of more than £200 from anyone not on a UK electoral register or from a non-UK registered organisation. But Mr Ghaleigh said if the cheque was made out to the campaign, the campaign itself would be the "regulated donee" and its treasurer would be the person responsible.

Mr Whitton said of the latest twist: "I am no going to comment on that because I don't know anything about it. That's why we have taken everything to The Electoral Commission to let them decide."

Meanwhile Labour MSP Johann Lamont confirmed today she had supported the nomination of Mr Green for an honour, but denied making the nomination.