The SNP has called on Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander to reveal whether he was lobbied on behalf of any Russian or Chinese clients at the request of former Labour minister Peter Mandelson.
The demand follows reports that newly released files show Mandelson conducted at least one introduction between Douglas Alexander and personnel from consultancy firm Global Counsel, with details of the meeting redacted.
The SNP claims the redactions raise serious questions about who was involved in the meeting and what subjects were discussed.
The party has also pointed to scrutiny surrounding Peter Mandelson’s past business relationships, including links involving Chinese state organisations and Russian oligarchs who were later sanctioned.
According to the SNP, concerns about those relationships were highlighted during Mandelson’s vetting process before he took up his role as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States.
The party is now demanding full disclosure of the identities of those involved in the meeting and the nature of any discussions that took place.
Commenting on the issue, SNP MSP Alex Kerr said:
“The public will be extremely concerned about who, at the behest of the disgraced Lord Mandelson, Douglas Alexander was spending his time with.
“During Peter Mandelson’s vetting process, a significant number of red flags were raised by the security services about his relationship with a number of his clients from China and Russia.
“Now we know he was putting Douglas Alexander in a room with unknown individuals, Alexander must now explicitly tell the public exactly who he met with and exactly what was discussed.
“Douglas Alexander must lift these ominous redactions.
“Douglas Alexander was a mere puppet for his master Mandelson and these shadowy redactions just make this sinister affair all the more despicable.
“Douglas Alexander must resign and the public must be given full disclosure on whether our national security has been threatened by meetings at the instruction of Peter Mandelson.”
The comments come amid continuing political debate over transparency, lobbying and the relationships between senior politicians and private sector interests.
No response from Douglas Alexander was included in the statement.
The issue is likely to generate further political scrutiny as calls continue for the release of additional information relating to the redacted material.
