Three days on, woman at the centre of the SNP love tangle finally breaks cover
FOR a woman accused of being publicity hungry, remarkably little has been seen of journalist Serena Cowdy in recent days.
The Oxford graduate disappeared as revelations of her affairs with two married SNP MPs became the talk of Westminster and threatened to derail the careers of all three.
Yesterday the 36-year-old finally broke cover for the first time since the love triangle was exposed by the Daily Mail on Tuesday.
Looking tired, Miss Cowdy trudged laden with luggage from the South London block of flats where she lives. Wearing a casual top, jeans and no make-up, the actress turned journalist headed straight for a waiting mini-cab.
Earlier she had refused to discuss the conduct of her brace of married SNP lovers, Angus MacNeil and Stewart Hosie, who are facing questions from the parliamentary sleaze watchdog.
Miss Cowdy told the Mail: ‘I’m afraid I have got no comment to make. Thank you very much.’ She has already wiped her previously fulsome social media presence from the internet.
Her ex-lover Mr MacNeil and her current paramour Mr Hosie both face inquiries from two watch- dogs over allegations they charged taxpayers for the accommodation where they met for trysts.
Mr MacNeil, 45, a father of three, repeatedly claimed expenses for a room at the luxury Park Plaza Hotel, near the Commons, where his lover said she frequently spent nights with him.
He split from his wife Jane last year, soon after his affair with Miss Cowdy ended. Miss Cowdy is now ‘madly in love’ with Mr Hosie, a 53-year-old father of one.
Mr Hosie, who is deputy to SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, said on Sunday he was splitting from his wife Shona Robison, the Scottish government’s health secretary.
The SNP has denied Mr MacNeil and Mr Hosie are at fault. But a Labour Party spokesman said: ‘There are serious allegations here about a potential misuse of taxpayer funds by senior SNP MPs.’
They have been reported to the Commissioner for Standards for possibly risking the reputation of Parliament.
If the commissioner decides to investigate and says there has been a breach of the rules, the MPs could be reported to the Committee on Standards, which will decide any punishment.
A Labour MP has also complained to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which has the power to order an MP to repay money claimed.
‘Serious allegations’