GIVE ME SECOND CHANCE
Brass-necked sex pest McDonald back at work
ICE-COLD Mark McDonald yesterday insisted he deserves another chance at Holyrood – as it emerged one of his victims was too distressed to turn up to work.
The shamed former childcare minister, looking surprisingly calm, was back in the Scottish Parliament four months after accusations from three women led to his rapid fall from grace.
McDonald quit the SNP last week when a probe identified “persistent” behaviour including inappropriate and unwanted texts, unwanted attention and exploiting his position of power.
One of his victims, who works for an SNP MSP, revealed on social media she would not be coming to work in parliament yesterday.
It’s understood a second woman who made a complaint about McDonald went home early and is now “off sick”.
But McDonald, who has been given an office away from other elected members in the basement, reckons he’s going nowhere.
At a surreal press conference, he said: “I have said throughout this process and I will say again, I am not coming back to parliament to antagonise anybody or to upset anybody.
“I am coming back to do the job that I was elected to do on behalf of my constituents, to represent their interests.
“I’m here to keep my head down and do the job I was elected to do.
“I’m not here to cause any upset or antagonism for people and that is the approach I will be taking.”
McDonald’s refusal to follow First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s advice and quit Holyrood is worth nearly £250,000 in taxpayers’ cash.
That’s how much he stands to earn from his MSP salary and government pay-off from the day he quit as childcare minister until the next election in 2021.
McDonald will cling on as an independent, with ex-colleagues now trying to change the rules to have him banned.
Parliament authorities have also had to make big changes to accommodate his determination.
He’s been given a special office in the “upper basement” and reporters have been warned to stay clear – an unprecedented move in a parliament which prides itself on “transparency”.
Amazingly, a police officer was standing outside the door to the small room in parliament where McDonald took a few questions from reporters yesterday.
Originally, he was going to be in the main lobby with media penned in behind a barrier.
It’s understood other political parties objected to the location.
Standing at the head of the table surrounded by broadcast and print journalists, McDonald said he wants to move on.
But he still couldn’t bring himself to fully explain what he did. He said: “I’ve not been given a copy of the report that was produced. I had findings placed in front of me which were then taken away from me and I was not given them to take away. “There has been speculation ongoing, there has been information leaked from other sources. I have chosen not to comment during that process. “I don’t think it would be appropriate for me now to say to you this was what was said.” The married father-of-two rejected suggestions it would be more “honourable” to let voters decide if he should stay. He said: “I want to be able to demonstrate the reflections that I’ve undertaken and the commitment I’ve made to improve my conduct and behaviour. “I don’t think a by-election campaign affords that opportunity to demonstrate that fully.” Tomorrow, Holyrood’s standards committee will consider how to deal with McDonald. Lib Dems want to draw up a Recall Act which would give voters the right to “sack” MSPs who fall out of line. Other parties simply want him to quit.
Lawyer Aamer Anwar, who is representing some of McDonald’s alleged victims, said: “What a disgrace that this man compounds the agony of his victims by scuttling back to a stage-managed press conference, showing total disregard for their feelings as he issues more selfdenial and half-baked apologies.
“He clearly has learned no lessons but sadly, neither have the parliamentary authorities. A deeply shameful day in the history of the Scottish Parliament.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives added: “The public will still have many more questions over this process and what actually happened here.
“Today’s emotionless appearance did nothing to address that issue, and neither has the SNP’s silence on the matter.”
Later, McDonald looked an isolated figure as he took a seat in the debating chamber for the first time since November.
He sat at the back behind Labour’s benches, separated from the SNP by an aisle.
Only deputy presiding officer Linda Fabiani said hello when she found herself sitting near him. He was the last to leave when debating finished at 5pm.