Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander is being urged to quit over his links with Lord Peter Mandelson – with the SNP accusing the Labour MP of showing “appalling judgment” and having “brought shame on Scotland”.
SNP MP Kirsty Blackman issued the demand in the wake of “damning messages” between Mr Alexander and Lord Mandelson.
She said the Scottish Secretary’s “sycophantic and pitiful messages” showed he was in regular contact with the “disgraced” politician, who was sacked as the UK’s ambassador the US last year as a result of his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Ms Blackman spoke out after thousands of new documents relating to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to give the prestigious Washington job to Lord Mandelson were released on Monday.
These are said to show Mr Alexander welcomed the appointment at the time, telling Lord Mandelson the job was “good news for you, for the government and for the country”.
Mr Alexander, who returned to elected politics in the 2024 general election, almost a decade after being ousted from the Commons, also reportedly thanked Lord Mandelson for being “influential” in his “whole improbable journey” – going on to say that he would “not forget any of it”.
The MP, who helped run Labour’s recent Holyrood election campaign, also admitted to him that “there’s v little enthusiasm for Labour” in Scotland.
Ms Blackman said: “These damning messages make it clear that from the very beginning Peter Mandelson was pulling the strings of Douglas Alexander and treating him as a puppet.
“This is an embarrassment to Scotland and brings an immense level of shame to our international reputation.”
The SNP MP added: “We now know that Mr Alexander was in regular contact with the disgraced Labour Party peer, despite it being a matter of public record at the time that Mandelson had maintained his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the world’s most notorious paedophile.
“The messages show Mandelson helped Douglas Alexander get selected as a Labour Party candidate, advised him on the Scottish Labour Party’s election campaign and made him do his bidding in government – including setting up meetings with his business clients.
“Despite publicly claiming that Mandelson should never have been appointed, we now know in private Mr Alexander was congratulating Mandelson and sending him gushing praise – without a thought for Epstein’s victims or Mandelson’s long history of scandals.
“What is even more damning for Douglas Alexander is his sycophantic and pitiful messages to Lord Mandelson – calling him the ‘comeback kid’ when his links to convicted child abuser Jeffrey Epstein were already in the public domain.”
She continued: “Labour Party figures were already calling for Mr Alexander to quit after he took the party to its worst-ever Scottish election result but these messages mean it is no longer just an internal party matter.
“Douglas Alexander has shown appalling judgment and brought shame on Scotland through his relationship with Mandelson.
“He said one thing in public and another in private – while doing Mandelson’s bidding. Scotland deserves better than this. Mr Alexander must go and go now.”
Labour has been contacted for comment.
