EXCLUSIVE – The parliamentarian was scathing about the appointment of Alexander to the role of Scottish Secretary: “If I had a pound for everyone who liked Douglas, I would have 50p.”
Douglas Alexander MP
Civil war has erupted in Labour over claims Ian Murray was sacked from the Cabinet for not coming to Scotland enough.
A party MP rejected the allegation against the axed Scottish Secretary as “completely and utterly false”.
The MP also put the boot into Murray’s successor Douglas Alexander by dismissing him as a “wee p***k” who nobody likes.
Murray was brutally sacked by Keir Starmer on Friday while he attended an event with his beloved Hearts FC.
The firing triggered a huge backlash and Murray was brought back into government with a junior ministerial role.
As revealed by the Record, the Edinburgh South MP was stripped of his Cabinet post amid concerns he did not spend enough time on political duties in Scotland.
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Murray swerved a Holyrood election away day for MPs and MSPs last month in Stirling, a no-show that angered Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s team.
Alexander, the Lothian East MP and a Sarwar ally, replaced Murray weeks after the away day.
A Scottish Labour MP tore into Alexander: “Douglas is a wee p***k who has been agitating for this job for over a year.”
“If I had a pound for everyone who liked Douglas, I would have 50p.”
The MP claimed that nobody in the Scottish Labour MP WhatsApp group had congratulated Alexander on getting the job.
The parliamentarian said Murray was not at the party gathering in Stirling because he was in Methil trying to save jobs.
The MP also derided Sarwar’s team as “cowards”.
Former Scottish Secretary Ian Murray (Image: Philip Coburn/Daily Mirror)
A Labour source said: “Ian worked tirelessly to help Labour deliver in government, and saving jobs in Methil was more important than a party away day.”
SNP MSP for East Lothian Paul McLennan said: “The Labour Party is in complete chaos after Murray’s sacking last week.
“It’s no wonder their first year in government has been one disaster after another. The people of Scotland deserve better.
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them – Scottish Labour couldn’t be less interested in Scotland, re-appointing a Scottish Secretary who last held the job twenty years ago and descending into chaos instead of delivering on their promises.
“As Labour infighting continues, the SNP in government is delivering for the people of Scotland and offering the fresh start Scotland needs with independence.”
Alexander paid tribute to his predecessor after he was given Murray’s job:
“Ian is a personal friend, as well as a colleague. I want to pay generous tribute to the work that he did. Not least after the wipe out in 2015 and the aftermath of the referendum, but ultimately, Prime Ministers at their reshuffles get to choose their team and decide who they want in what positions.”
He added: “I think most people, when they think about their own workplaces, recognise that ultimately the leadership of the party or the manager of the business gets to make choices, periodically in terms of personnel, and the Prime Minister I’m delighted to say has Ian, now working across two government departments.”
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