Scottish Labour has been thrust into the spotlight following the announcement that MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy will not stand for re-election in 2026, a decision prompted by the controversy surrounding her continued friendship with convicted sex offender and former Labour councillor Sean Morton. The news, confirmed on December 21, 2025, marks a dramatic turn in what has been a tumultuous period for the party, especially in Glasgow where Duncan-Glancy has served as a regional MSP since 2021.
The story began to unravel publicly earlier this month, after a series of media reports—most notably from the Daily Record—revealed that Duncan-Glancy had maintained contact with Morton years after his 2017 conviction for possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography, including images of girls under 15 and content involving a dog. Morton, once seen as a rising star in the party and a councillor for Fochabers Lhanbryde in Moray, pled guilty to the charges and received a community payback order, which included 140 hours of unpaid work and a place on the sex offenders register.
Despite the gravity of Morton’s crimes, Duncan-Glancy, a lifelong friend of his, continued her relationship with him. The pair reportedly celebrated her recent birthday together, a detail that came to light as the scandal broke. The revelations quickly ignited debate within Labour’s ranks and among the Scottish public about the appropriate boundaries for elected officials and the consequences of personal associations that cross ethical lines.
Under pressure, Duncan-Glancy initially resigned from her post as Labour’s education spokeswoman at the start of December 2025, citing a "serious lapse in professional judgement." In her resignation, she acknowledged the error, stating, "I made a serious error of judgement regarding my links to Sean Morton." According to the BBC, her resignation was seen by Labour as the right move at the time, and the party initially considered the matter closed. However, as more details emerged and public scrutiny intensified, it became clear that her continued candidacy for the Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill constituency was untenable.
In her statement announcing her withdrawal, Duncan-Glancy said, "I am announcing today that I am withdrawing as a candidate for the Scottish Parliamentary election next year. While this has obviously been a very difficult decision—and it is the greatest honour of my life to represent Glasgow—I do not wish for a personal friendship to become a distraction. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve, and I remain committed to returning a Scottish Labour government next year." She added, "I promised in my first speech in parliament to give a voice to the voiceless. I will go on doing that. I will continue to fight for my constituents for the next five months, as I have for the last five years. And I will keep fighting for the causes I believe in."
Party leader Anas Sarwar’s response was decisive. In an interview with the Daily Record, Sarwar stated, “As soon as I became aware of that, I was deeply concerned as you’d imagine. I think it’s important to stress that no one is suggesting there was any illegality from Pam herself, but it wasn’t appropriate to keep that friendship going. It was right that she stepped down from her position and apologised for keeping that friendship going, and our expectation is and our belief is, that that friendship will now come to an end.” He further emphasized, “What she should instead focus on is delivering for her constituents and actually being the great campaigner that Pam is actually well known for. And that has to be ultimately her focus. But it’s not appropriate to maintain such a friendship and that’s why she did the right thing to step back from the front bench and I hope she’s reflected on that.”
Concerns about Duncan-Glancy’s relationship with Morton had been brewing within the party for some time. According to the Daily Record, a whistleblower first raised the issue with Scottish Labour on November 13, 2025, informing a UK Labour safeguarding officer that the two had been seen together "over several years and most recently." The Labour official responded, "While it is our responsibility to ensure that Labour Party activities are carried out safely, it is outside of the remit of this team to assess the suitability of those that our members choose to have personal relationships with."
The fallout from the scandal has not been limited to Labour’s internal deliberations. The Scottish National Party (SNP) was quick to criticize Labour’s handling of the situation. An SNP spokesperson told the Daily Record, "The Scottish public rightly expect high standards from their elected representatives. Labour dragged their heels on this—Anas Sarwar should’ve removed Duncan-Glancy as a candidate as soon as this scandal came to light." Party sources within Labour also acknowledged that the controversy undermined Sarwar’s ability to criticize the SNP on issues of law and order.
Following Duncan-Glancy’s resignation from the frontbench, Paul O’Kane MSP assumed the role of spokesman on education and equalities, while Claire Baker MSP took over as spokeswoman for social security. Meanwhile, the selection process for the Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill constituency has been reopened, with Scottish Labour stating, "Pam Duncan-Glancy has withdrawn as a parliamentary candidate for the Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill constituency. She has taken the decision to step aside as she does not wish recent stories to become a distraction from the work of the party or its priorities. The selection process will now be reopened so that a replacement candidate can be chosen."
Sean Morton, for his part, has spoken in the past about his close bond with Duncan-Glancy. In a 2015 Labour conference speech, he said, "She’s an inspiration to me and to many people in this party. I grew up with Pam. We went to school together in the village that I now represent as a councillor. We were at a school, this school. A couple of geeks sitting in the corner, we struck up a conversation, and 24 years later, it’s still going on."
As the dust settles, Duncan-Glancy has pledged to continue serving her constituents for the remainder of her term, which concludes in May 2026. While her departure from the upcoming election marks the end of a chapter for Scottish Labour, it also raises broader questions about the responsibilities of public officials, the boundaries of personal loyalty, and the expectations of party leadership in responding to public scandals. For now, the party turns to the task of selecting a new candidate—one who, it hopes, can restore focus to Labour’s priorities and rebuild trust among voters in Glasgow and beyond.
