SCOTTISH Secretary Douglas Alexander has been accused of “going into hiding” amid calls for him to resign, after sending a junior minister on a key trade trip to China.
The Lothian East MP has come under scrutiny after files released by the UK Government showed Peter Mandelson introduced him to a lobbying firm he set up with links to Russia and China.
Documents released showed that Mandelson, who was sacked as UK ambassador to the US last year over his links with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, introduced Alexander to contacts in the Global Counsel lobbying firm he co-founded in 2010. Mandelson resigned from its board in 2024, but continued to own shares.
An email sent when Alexander was a trade minister in the UK Government showed him thanking Mandelson for the introduction.
It also emerged that Alexander's first meeting as trade minister was with Global Counsel, in the form of an online call. The BBC reports that this meeting was only added to public transparency logs earlier this year.
Despite repeated questions being asked of Alexander, he has maintained a low profile. On his X/Twitter account, the Scottish Secretary has made no mention of Mandelson or the questions aimed at him, instead releasing social media videos about the upcoming by-elections in Aberdeen South and Angus and Broughty Ferry in recent days.
It comes as Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill embarks on a three-day visit to China with representatives from the energy, manufacturing and university sector.
The SNP accused Alexander of hiding after a Labour MP told The Scotsman that the Scottish Secretary is the “most absent man in Cabinet”.
The party said the Scottish Secretary should come out of hiding and address why he appeared to be as “thick as thieves” with the disgraced peer Mandelson.
SNP MSP Alex Kerr told The National: “Douglas Alexander is so distracted and mired in scandal that he can no longer effectively undertake his role as Scottish Secretary – he must go.
“The fact that he has sent his junior minister on such a vital trip to China instead of going himself speaks volumes – he has gone into hiding.
“Questions remain over exactly who Mandelson introduced Douglas Alexander to and what they discussed. It is no wonder he’s gone underground.
“The UK Labour government is stuck in a state of constant chaos with Douglas holed up in some secret location and quite frankly Scotland deserves better.
“While Westminster politicians are focused on the latest political scandals and the police chapping their door, the SNP is firmly on Scotland’s side, taking action to support households with the cost of living and improve public services.”
The Scotland Office has been contacted for comment.
