Fife Council leader to fight McLeish seat

THE leader of Fife Council will fight the seat vacated by Henry McLeish at the Scottish Parliament elections next year, the party announced last night.

Christine May, a high-profile figure in the area, will stand in the constituency of the former first minister following a decision made by the local Labour Party.

She defeated David Whitton, former aide to the Donald Dewar, and four other candidates.

The selection of Ms May, a councillor in Fife for ten years, is controversial.

Some leading figures at the party’s Scottish headquarters were said to be concerned about the risks of choosing a candidate who was close to the row that erupted over the Third Age charity, a body involved in the "Officegate" affair that led to the resignation of Mr McLeish as First Minister.

Ms May, who lives in Kirkcaldy, chairs the Fife community planning forum and serves on a number of other bodies, including the European Union committee of the regions and the Kingdom of Fife Tourist Board.

Ms May said she was delighted and honoured to have been chosen by the local Labour Party to stand next year.

She added: "The campaign starts today, and if I am elected to Holyrood, I will work every day to continue Labour’s work for the people of Fife."

The Scottish National Party seized on the appointment, saying that it was astonished Labour had chosen a candidate who was associated with the Third Age controversy.

Tricia Marwick, MSP, the SNP candidate for the Central Fife seat, said: "This is a spectacular own goal by the Labour Party. I cannot believe it has learned nothing from the fall-out over the Third Age centre debacle.

"Christine May was leader of Fife Council while it was going on. The allegations of sleaze, cronyism, jobs for the boys and the cover-ups were all being done in her watch.

"She was also leader of Fife Council at a time when it went from a majority to a minority administration."

A Scottish Labour spokesman refused to comment on reports that it had been against choosing a candidate who was a member of a council at the centre of the Third Age controversy.

The spokesman said: "It is up to the local party to make the decision. Ms May has proved herself to be a good politician and someone who has campaigned for the people of Fife. We hope she will continue to do that."

Mr Whitton, who was Ms May’s main rival for the seat, is a former journalist who was Mr Dewar’s senior media adviser.

Mark Steven, a local contender, from the public sector union, Unison, and Linda Leiper, secretary of Central Fife constituency party, had also been in the running.

Mr McLeish, who resigned as First Minister just over a year ago, first announced his intention to quit as an MSP in September.

Fife Council was cleared by the Accounts Commission of any blame over its handling of issues concerning the Third Age group, which was paid £40,000 in council grants after its management board was wound up.

The charity leased an office at Mr McLeish’s constituency headquarters. It was the former First Minister’s failure to declare this arrangement that led to his downfall.