 | 'FORMER First Minister Jack McConnell was today urged by a Commons committee to quit the Scottish Parliament soon in order to take up his promised diplomatic post in Malawi. The MPs said it would be "unsatisfactory" for him to stay on as an MSP while preparing to become British High Commissioner to the African country.' Evening News, 6 th July 2008. |  |
FORMER First Minister Jack McConnell was today urged by a Commons committee to quit the Scottish Parliament soon in order to take up his promised diplomatic post in Malawi.
The MPs said it would be "unsatisfactory" for him to stay on as an MSP while preparing to become British High Commissioner to the African country.
He and the Foreign Office should resolve this "swiftly" by publicly announcing a starting date for the new job within the first half of next year, said the Foreign Affairs Committee.
During his time as First Minister, Mr McConnell launched a Scottish aid programme to help tackle poverty in Malawi, a country which has long-standing links with Scotland.
And Prime Minister Gordon Brown nominated Mr McConnell as the next High Commissioner to Malawi after he stepped down as Scottish Labour leader following last year's Holyrood elections.
He will succeed Richard Wildash, who is due to leave at the end of January.
But when Mr McConnell gave evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee in April, he said he had still not agreed a starting date for the new post - and might not even take up the post next year.
"I do not have any expectation that the new position will start early next year - or even next year," he said.
MPs on the committee expressed surprise at this and one of them, Tory MP John Horam, suggested the Government wanted some "wriggle room" over the timing of a by-election in Mr McConnell's Motherwell and Wishaw constituency.
But Mr McConnell denied the timing was influenced by political considerations, and also denied he was being given the Malawi job as a consolation prize after the election defeat.
In its report today, the committee said it was satisfied that both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Mr McConnell had behaved "without impropriety" over the proposed appointment.
"We wish Mr McConnell well in his new post," said the committee.
But the report went on to say the committee was "surprised" he had raised the possibility of a long gap between the present High Commissioner leaving in January and his own starting date - and that Mr McConnell had not ruled out staying on as an MSP for an extended period.
"We conclude that it would be very unsatisfactory for there to be a lengthy interregnum in which no High Commissioner is in post," said the MPs' report.
"It would be equally unsatisfactory for Mr McConnell to continue to perform the duties of a member of the Scottish Parliament at the same time that he is preparing to undertake the politically impartial duties of a British diplomat.
"We recommend that the FCO and Mr McConnell should resolve this issue swiftly and make a public announcement that Mr McConnell will take up post on a specified date within the first half of 2009."
Mr McConnell had a majority of 5938 over the SNP at last year's elections.
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