Charlie's Darling.

Another disclosure about the expenses claims of one of our MSPs.

"The son of Charlie Gordon MSP has received more than £26,000 in parliamentary expenses for work carried out on behalf of his father with additional payments also made by at least one other MSP, it emerged last night. Figures show that Gavin Gordon was paid for work carried out on his father's website, call handling and other consultancy work, which amounted to £15,246 for the 2007-08 session alone. Payments have been made to Gavin Gordon for the past three years after invoices from his enterprise, GMG Solutions, run from his home in the Whiteinch area of Glasgow, were sent to Holyrood. He received £9747 in 2006-07, and £1400 in 2005-06. But the website address given for GMG Solutions on the invoices does not exist, with the domain name not registered and a search on the internet does not throw up any trace of the sole trader." And, for the record, Charlie's denial of the story.

Any honour? Left?

"A defiant Charlie Gordon made clear last night that he would not be resigning as an MSP, dismissing breaches of the electoral law as no more than "a fuss". The former Glasgow Council leader also defended his conduct in civic life as he implied that his past performance in the city was now being used against him."

No .... really?

Not Mr Gordon .... who in 2007 solicited a donation from a businessman he had previously nominated for an honour, despite being allegedly advised two years before that a previous attempt to obtain a donation from the same person would breach the law, which it then did, refusing to resign from his post as an MSP, carrying a salary of £60K per annum. It would never happen in Scotland. Never. Never.

The Alexander camp seem to believe that all they have to do is huncker down and in four years at the next election everyone in Scotland will have forgotten ... they underestimate the Scottish voter. What about honour?

The temperature's rising.

Labour MSP Charlie Gordon is obviously feeling the heat over the Wendy Alexander donations furore.

"LABOUR MSP Charles Gordon was warned TWO YEARS AGO it was illegal to accept donations from tax-exile Paul Green. Green offered to support Gordon's by-election campaign in Cathcart in 2005. Gordon turned him down - but later took two donations from him, including one for Wendy Alexander's Labour leadership campaign. Asked to comment last night, Gordon snapped: "Jesus Christ! Give me a break will you?" He then slammed down the phone."

No need to swear Charlie.

Meanwhile over at the Scotsman they happily name the donors to Wendy's non-campaign:

"A total of £16,600 was raised for her fighting fund, including ten contributions of £995 and one of £950 - all just below the £1,000 threshold, above which donors have to be named. The £950 came from Paul Green. One of the £995 donations, thought to be organised by Mr McCabe, came from David Pitt-Watson, of private equity firm Hermes Focus Asset Management. He had previously given money to Gordon Brown's leadership campaign. Mr McCabe also raised money from other business people, including Neil Davidson, the former solicitor general, and Willie Haughey. Mr Whitton is understood to have organised donations from John Lyon, a former Labour MP, while Ms McNeill brought in a donation from businessman Brian Dempsey, and Ms Baillie organised a donation from Harry Donaldson, a senior union official. Seven Labour peers - Lords Robertson, Maxton, Boyd, Elder, Sewel and Moonie and Baroness Adams - gave £2,500 between them. Ms Alexander is understood to have been responsible for securing a donation of £400 from long-term Labour supporter Mary Goudie. Nick Kuenssberg, a Glasgow businessman and also the part-time deputy chairman of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, was also a donor and is thought to have given £995 to the campaign."

Some interesting names on that list.

She's Toast.

Today's newspapers are full of calls for Labour's Scottish Leader Wendy Alexander MSP to resign, following further disclosures about the dodgy donation by Jersey business man Paul Green to her Leadership Election campaign and the fact that Labour MSP Charlie Gordon had already nominated Mr Green for an honour which he did not receive.

The only argument for Wendy not resigning is that if she does it will probably inevitably lead to Labour's UK Deputy Leader Harriet Harmen MP having to do the same.

That isn't really a good enough reason for Wendy not to go when whatever else happened she clearly broke electoral law. Ignorance is no excuse, especially when the law places the onus on the person receiving a donation to satisfy themselves the law has been complied with.

Mr Smith was no great fan of Wendy Alexander and her "non-election" as Scottish Labour Leader. But is she has any principles left she should do the decent thing and resign. It is then for others to consider their own positions.

You scratch my back.

So the party funding scandal has touched the new Leader of the Scottish Labour Party Wendy Alexander MSP with her campaign manager at the time Tom McCabe MSP admitting that a donation to her campaign from Jersey-based businessman Paul Green was "clearly illegal."

The disclosure also forced the resignation of Labour MSP Charlie Gordon as a party spokesman following revelations that he initiated the donation by approaching Mr Green.

This is really getting ridiculous ... we have politicians tapping wealthy business people for money and we are told that this will result in no expectation of a pay back. There's something rotten in the body politic ... and it stinks to high heaven. But how many more times can Wendy Alexander and her acolytes put their foot in it before they are told to take a hike?