Kezia Dugdale new Holyrood role slammed by senior MSPs

Both of Holyrood's Deputy Presiding Officers have hit out at Kezia Dugdale's appointment to the Parliament's key management body.
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Speaking in a personal capacity, Linda Fabiani and Christine Grahame have voiced concerns about Ms Dugdale's appointment to Holyrood's Corporate body following the row over her appearance on the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here.


Ms Dugdale was voted onto the body which helps manage the Parliament's £89 million annual budget on Tuesday, but both senior Nationalists abstained on the vote.

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Kezia Dugdale took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of HereKezia Dugdale took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here
Kezia Dugdale took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here
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"We did not think it appropriate that, given Ms Dugdale abandoned her Parliamentary duties for I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, she should then be our representative on the Parliament's Corporate Body," Ms Grahame and Ms Fabiani said in a joint statement to the National.


It was released in personal capacity and not in relation to their role as Deputy Presiding Officers.


Another Nationlalist MSP Rona Mackay also abstained in the vote which saw Ms Dugdale supported by 106 of Holyrood's 128 MSPs who have a vote.


Ms Dugdale's appointment was part of a drive to get more women on the corporate body.

Kezia Dugdale took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of HereKezia Dugdale took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here
Kezia Dugdale took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here
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A Scottish Labour spokesman said: "Having been successfully elected to the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body by MSPs, Kezia Dugdale will fight for gender equality, transparency and and polices that tackle the problem of sexual harassment in the Scottish Parliament."