McConnell 'haunted' by kilt image

Jack McConnell said he has been left haunted by the image of his infamous pinstriped kilt.

The garment, which the former Scottish first minister wore to a New York charity fashion show in 2004, generated a large amount of publicity.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Mr McConnell recalled the kilt in question raised £10,000 for a charity appeal.

And he said, in the setting of the event, the item of clothing had seemed perfectly normal.

But he admitted: "The photograph has come to haunt me."

Mr McConnell, who is to become British High Commissioner to Malawi after Labour's Scottish election defeat to the SNP last year, said: "On the night, I think everybody who was there thought it was all part of this weird and wonderful display of outfits that people were wearing."

"Nobody who was there on the night has ever criticised it," he added.

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