Tories want Alexander to be stripped of election role
TORY Leader David Cameron today called for former Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander to be stripped of his responsibilty for elections after his role in May’s Holyrood vote fiasco.
At Prime Minister’s Questions he told Gordon Brown: “How can the MP responsible for this fiasco as Secretary of State for Scotland who is now International Development Secretary go round the world telling other people who to run their elections?'’
Mr Cameron demanded an apology from Mr Brown after the independent Gould report into the May poll accused Ministers of putting party political interest ahead of the proper running of the election.
The Prime Minister said the Report into the confusion caused by the ballot papers in May does not blame individuals or parties.
Mr Cameron said the report says ministers put partisan political interests before the voters’ interests. He asked how International Development Secretary Mr Alexander, in charge of Labour general election manifesto, could lecture other countries about electoral “probity” given his own track record at the Scottish elections.
Mr Brown said Mr Cameron was “misleading people” about the conclusions of the report.
This sparked a rebuke from Speaker Michael Martin who called for “temperate language from the prime minister”. MPs are not allowed accuse other members of lying in the House of Commons.
Mr Cameron said he did not know how the prime minister had the “gall” to accuse him of misleading anyone, and called for former Scotland Secretary Mr Alexander to explain himself to MPs and be stripped of his current responsibility for elections.
But he stopped short of calling for him to be sacked from the Cabinet.
The Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP has already said sorry for his role in the May elections fiasco.
His apology came as First Minister Alex Salmond said control over all Scottish elections should be transferred to the Scottish Government.
More than 140,000 votes were spoilt in May’s council and Holyrood elections.
International expert Ron Gould’s report claimed that Scottish ministers - in Edinburgh and London - had focused on partisan political interests and voters were treated as an “afterthought”.
The elections saw a new ballot paper design brought in and a new voting system for the council seats.
Mr Cameron described the mishandling of the Scottish elections as a “scandal”.
However, Mr Brown told the Commons the Gould report made clear that no one individual or organisation was to blame and accused the Conservatives of misleading people over its contents.
He said Tory and Liberal Democrat leader had agreed to the content of the ballot papers covering Holyrood and local elections.
