Alan McCombes, press and policy coordinator of the Scottish Socialist Party made the following statement :
“My decision, which I took with the full support of the SSP, not to hand over the documents demanded by the court was not one taken lightly but in the full understanding of the possible serious consequences that could follow.”
“However I took my stand on the clear position that the Scottish Socialist Party, like all democratic organisations, has the right to hold private discussions on sensitive matters and for those discussions to remain confidential.”
“That is not only my view but also the view taken by both the SSP’s executive and our National Council composed of rank and file delegates from across Scotland”
“ Scottish Executive has argued precisely this view on such sensitive matter as the Shirley McKie case, the handling of the scandals around Hepatitis C and many PFI contracts which are paid for by public money”
“We now face the grotesque position that a small party is being pressed by the state to hand over its internal records while the Executive is allowed to keep policy decisions and other matters of vital public interest under lock and key.”
“To comply with the demand to hand over the documents would endanger the right of free debate inside political parties and mean that out rights of free association would be threatened.”
“ In such discussions the keeping of records and minutes is a vital part of ensuring that elected officers are accountable to their members and meeting the court’s demand to hand over internal records threatens that right.”
“My legal team Paul Cullen and Fred Tyler presented a powerful case for my position and I pay tribute their skills is so doing and thank them for their work.”
