A SCOTTISH Labour candidate in the upcoming Westminster election has been acting as an election consultant, it has been revealed.
An investigation by The Herald found that former Scottish Labour MP and chief executive of anti-independence group Scotland in Union, Pamela Nash, has been working for a consultancy business in the run-up to the General Election.
The firm claims to offer “an edge” on likely changes in legislation and laws following the next election, with Labour leader Keir Starmer tipped to become the next prime minister.
Nash served as Labour MP for Airdrie and Shotts between 2010 and 2015 and is currently the party’s candidate in Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke.
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Last week, she was named as a member of the cross-party “General Election Advisory Board” created by the 56 Degrees North consultancy.
The firm’s website states that the board brings “together the brightest and best across Westminster, Whitehall and Holyrood – all to give you an edge as you seek to understand, engage and shape decision-making with the key players.”
Yet questions have been asked about how appropriate Nash’s place on the board is given the fact she is running in the election.
Clare Adamson, the SNP MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, said: "Voters in Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke deserve to be represented by a member of parliament who is fully focused on their needs - not someone in the pocket of big business.
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"With vital issues such as the Westminster-controlled economy in ruin, war in the Middle East and the Post Office Horizon scandal - SNP MP Marion Fellows has been at the forefront in standing up for our constituents on the issues that really matter.
"Ultimately, come the general election, the people of Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke will get to decide if they want to be represented by an SNP MP who will champion them or a Labour MP who will be a champion for corporate businesses."
Nash sits on the board alongside figures such as former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale and Nicola Sturgeon’s former chief of staff Liz Lloyd.
It is understood Nash is planning to stand down from the board once the election is officially called.
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