Tory MSP Wells to be suspended from Holyrood over rules breach
A GLASGOW Conservative MSP denied leaking details of a government report despite facing a suspension from Holyrood for breaching rules.
Annie Wells was found guilty by the Standards Committee of seeking political advantage by commenting on a report before it was published.
The politician defended her actions, saying she did what any other would have done.
However, Ms Wells, who has been an MSP since 2016, insists she did not leak details of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee’s report on “Prisoner Voting in Scotland”.
She said: “Numerous media outlets contacted our office seeking comment on a story on the front page of a national newspaper that morning on prisoner voting.
“So I responded to that, as every MSP would, by issuing a statement to them reiterating my opposition to allowing prisoners voting rights. My response did not contain details of the report that weren’t already known, nor was I responsible for the original leak of the document to the paper, and we still don’t know who was.
“Indeed, I did not receive the final report until after it had featured in the national media.”
The committee considered a complaint from SNP MSP Gail Ross and agreed Ms Wells breached the MSPs code of conduct.
It also recommended to Parliament that Ms Wells be excluded from all meetings for five days.
On behalf of the committee, Bill Kidd, Anniesland SNP MSP, said: “The Committee has considered a complaint from Gail Ross SNP MSP about Annie Wells MSP.
“The complaint is that
news@ eveningtimes. co.uk Annie Wells sought political advantage by making advance public comment on the Equalities and Human Rights Committee’s report on “Prisoner Voting in Scotland.
“This Committee is unanimous in the decisions reached on the complaint.
“Firstly, it agrees with the findings in fact and conclusion of the Commissioner that Annie Wells breached paragraphs 12, 15 and 16 of Section 7 of the Code of Conduct for MSPs by making public press comment in advance of the publication of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee’s report.”