Scottish Labour frontbencher quits over links to sex offender

Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy has quit her frontbench role after admitting a “serious error of personal judgement” over a friendship with a convicted sex offender.

The Glasgow region MSP was Labour’s education spokeswoman, but submitted her resignation after the Daily Record newspaper said she had maintained links to Sean Morton, a former Labour councillor who admitted having indecent images of children and extreme pornography in 2017.

Duncan-Glancy said she accepted that it was no longer tenable for her to continue in her current post.

She will remain as a Labour MSP. The party said she had done the right thing and it considers the matter closed.

In a letter sent to party leader Anas Sarwar, Duncan Glancy admitted “a serious lapse in professional judgement”.

She said: “I recognise that, as a direct consequence of this failure, it is no longer tenable for me to continue to serve in my current role.”

Sarwar accepted her resignation and added: “You have acknowledged a serious error of judgment.

“However, you have acted and taken the appropriate decision, and I thank you for that.”

A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “By resigning Pam Duncan-Glancy has done the right thing, we consider the matter closed.”

Paul O’Kane MSP has been appointed Scottish Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Equalities.

Morton, a former councillor for Lochabers and Lhanbryde, was ordered to carry out unpaid work and put on the sex offenders register after he pled guilty to possessing two indecent child image offences.

He had claimed the images were sent to him anonymously.