Scottish Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Pam Duncan-Glancy has announced her resignation as a parliamentary candidate due to her friendship with convicted sex offender Sean Morton. On October 15, 2023, Duncan-Glancy stated she would withdraw her candidacy for the upcoming Scottish parliamentary election, emphasizing her desire to prevent her personal connections from overshadowing the work of her party.
In her statement, Duncan-Glancy expressed the difficulty of her decision but affirmed her commitment to serving her constituents. “While this has obviously been a very difficult decision – and it is the greatest honour of my life to represent Glasgow – I do not wish for a personal friendship to become a distraction,” she stated.
Duncan-Glancy, who previously served as Labour’s education spokesperson, submitted her resignation amidst reports about her ongoing association with Morton. In 2017, Morton, a former Labour councillor, pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography. He received a community payback order, which mandated 140 hours of unpaid work.
Scottish Labour confirmed Duncan-Glancy’s decision to step aside as a parliamentary candidate for the Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill constituency. A party spokesperson remarked, “She has taken the decision to step aside as she does not wish recent stories to become a distraction from the work of the party or its priorities.” Following her resignation, the party will reopen the selection process to choose a replacement candidate.
Duncan-Glancy remains committed to her role as an MSP for the next five months, continuing her advocacy for her constituents and the causes she believes in. She concluded her statement by reaffirming, “I promised in my first speech in parliament to give a voice to the voiceless. I will go on doing that. I will continue to fight for my constituents for the next five months, as I have for the last five years.”
