McConnell’s Malawi posting put on hold

Plans for former first minister Jack McConnell to become the UK's High Commissioner in Malawi have again been put on hold with a career diplomat, Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, being installed in the role this week.

Mr McConnell was promised the job after he stood down as Scottish Labour leader following the 2007 elections but the appointment was delayed until 2011 after he was given a new international role by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as his special envoy in Africa.

The High Commissioner's job is not now expected to become vacant until 2012 and the Foreign Office has said it is not "automatic" that Mr McConnell would take over.

Opposition MSPs claim Mr McConnell is a "part-timer" after it emerged he had spent 27 days on foreign trips since the beginning of the year.

Mr Cochrane-Dyet's appointment fuels speculation that the Labour Party is desperate to avoid a by-election in Mr McConnell's Motherwell and Wishaw constituency.

Hugh O'Donnell, the Central Scotland LibDem MSP, said: "It is time the Labour Party told Mr McConnell to decide what his future is going to be and time he told his constituents in Motherwell and Wishaw whether he is going to continue to be their MSP on a full-time basis."

SNP MSP Christina McKelvie added: "Two years of dithering over his departure may have come to an end but his lack of commitment to the Scottish Parliament continues. Labour wouldn't let him leave and call a by-election but the people of Motherwell are left without a real MSP."

A Labour Party spokesman said Mr McConnell was a "highly-regarded and conscientious MSP" who ran a very busy office in his constituency and in the Parliament despite figures showing that between May 2007 and April this year he had one of the poorest voting records at Holyrood.

He added: "Jack has made clear there would be no time when he would be both and MSP and High Commissioner.

"He spends significantly more time in Motherwell and Wishaw now than when he was First Minister. He undertakes work on behalf of the UK in developing countries in Africa. "At a time when the SNP are damaging Scotland's image around the world, Jack is doing incredibly important work to help and support countries that still suffer from unspeakable poverty."