Commenting on the recommendation from the Scottish Parliament’s Standards Committee that Labour leader Wendy Alexander be suspended from parliamentary business for a day, Liberal Democrat MSP and former Convener of the Standards Committee Mike Rumbles said:

“The facts of the matter are clear. Wendy Alexander failed to declare income that she received over the £540 limit. Now, due process is taking course and the Scottish Parliament will be able to take the final decision on the sanction proposed by the Standards Committee.

“It’s absolutely critical that lessons are learned from this sorry affair so that public confidence in the accountability of our MSPs is not shaken any further. Openness and transparency are the watchwords of the Scottish Parliament. All 129 MSPs know what the rules are and they are very clear. There isn’t any excuse for ignoring these strict rules.”