Wendy Alexander resigns

WENDY Alexander sensationally resigned from the Scottish Cabinet today.

She quit her post as Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, saying she wanted a change after five years spent at the heart of government. Her decision to step down follows speculation about a strained relationship with Jack McConnell and rumours about affairs and romantic relationships, all of which have been denied.

It also comes six months after she dithered about challenging Mr McConnell for the succession after Henry McLeish was forced to resign as First Minister.

Ms Alexander told Mr McConnell of her decision when she met him today at his home in Wishaw. She insisted that she was not leaving politics and would return to the backbenches, with her enthusiasm for the Scottish Parliament as strong as ever.

The controversial politician was said to be heading for “a short overseas break abroad” with friends.

A Scottish Executive spokesman said Mr McConnell had accepted Ms Alexander’s resignation with regret and thanked her for her “significant contribution”.

In her resignation letter, Ms Alexander said she had completed five years in government, first working as special adviser to Donald Dewar at the Scottish Office, then as a Minister in the Scottish Cabinet under three First Ministers.

She wrote: “I now however, feel the time is right for me to stand down from ministerial office and ask you to accept my resignation from the Scottish Cabinet.

“In so doing, I am acting on a decision that I took at the turn of the year, but I was committed to first fulfilling the task you asked of me in preparing the new transport strategy and I was also determined to avoid adding unnecessary pressures on colleagues in your administration in its early months.”

In reply, Mr McConnell said he regretted her decision, but understood her wish to take a “well deserved break” from the pressures of office.

He wrote: “As a Minister in this Cabinet from the outset, you have brought that commitment and expertise to our collective work and I am indeed grateful to you for the consistent energy you have given to every task you have undertaken.

“I look forward to continuing to work with you in the Parliament and offer you my very best wishes for the future.”

A source denied Ms Alexander had resigned because she felt overburdened by her remit or out of pique, or for personal reasons.

He insisted there was “no scandal, no romance, no marriage, not nothing”.

“She just feels the time is right for her to move aside from her Cabinet job and consider more about policy.

“She has completed all the tasks she has been asked to complete, delivering an enterprise strategy and a transport strategy.

“She feels now is the best time to go to the backbenches and do what she feels she is best at – policy formulation.

“It was a straightforward career choice for her to come out of the cabinet and go back to what she wants to do.”

The source said by going now, Ms Alexander allowed whoever took over to settle into the job before the Scottish Parliament elections next year.

Ms Alexander was set to stand against Mr McConnell to become Labour leader and First Minister following Henry McLeish’s resignation last November, but pulled out at the last minute.

Mr McConnell kept her in his Cabinet, despite sacking several other long-standing ministers. But he handed her a massive portfolio combining transport, business, enterprise and further and higher education.

Many believed he had deliberately overloaded her in a bid to force her out or keep her so busy she had no time for other political activity.

Ms Alexander is close to Chancellor Gordon Brown and would have had his backing if she had chosen to stand against Mr McConnell for the leadership.

But her decision to pull out cost her the allegiance of her political friends.

And today some party sources claimed her decision to quit reflected a realisation she had little hope of ever becoming First Minister.

Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie said: “It has been obvious for some time that Wendy Alexander has been deeply unhappy, ever since the election of Jack McConnell as First Minister.

“Today marks the final parting of the ways. We now have a Cabinet entirely packed with Jack’s cronies and Wendy Alexander now joins the Cabinet-in-exile on Labour’s backbenches.”

Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell expressed her surprise at Miss Alexander’s shock resignation.

She said: “This is a personal decision and comes as a complete surprise.

“As a fellow woman politician, I can understand the many pressures Wendy must have felt.

“Scotland owes her a great deal. She has made an outstanding contribution to public life in Scotland and has advanced the causes of social justice and a strong economy.”

STUC general secretary, Bill Spiers, said: “We have worked very closely and well with Wendy, particularly in the development of a partnership approach to the expansion of the Scottish economy.

“She will be a loss and a hard act to follow, to say the least, and I hope that her stepping back from front line politics is temporary.”

Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said he was disappointed to learn of Ms Alexander's resignation, but understood and respected her decision.

He said: “She has made a very distinguished contribution, not least in promoting a forward-looking enterprise strategy for Scotland, one which will continue to have the support of our partnership. I want to wish Wendy well as she goes to the backbenches.”