Alexander reacts to sanction vote

MSPs have voted not to temporarily exclude Wendy Alexander from parliament for breaking Holyrood rules.

The sanction against the former Scottish Labour leader was recommended by Holyrood's standards committee.

Following the result, Ms Alexander issued this statement:

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I welcome parliament's decision.

I said at the time of my resignation that my pursuers had sought the prize of political victory with little thought of the standing of parliament, and that wiser heads would prevail.

The decision was a victory for the law, for natural justice and for common sense.

In the interest of all members, I hope the parliamentary authorities will now act to ensure that this can never happen again. That is in Scotland's interest.

Some will question why I resigned. I said in June I was not prepared to allow this matter to dominate over the summer.

No-one can doubt it would have done so had I remained Labour leader in Scotland. I judged that not to be in the interests of either the Labour Party or the country.

I regret this issue has distracted parliament, the media and the people from the real issues that deserve to dominate our public life.

It is not only my own personal integrity which has been trashed by political opponents - it is the integrity of the Scottish Parliament itself which has been threatened by the relentless pursuit of politically inspired complaints, personal invective and an absence of all sense of proportion.

If today's vote does something to restrain such behaviour, it will be a service to Scottish public life.

I trust parliament will ensure that happens.