Labour calls for Sturgeon to resign over letter

THE SNP has defended Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon over her decision to help a benefits cheat avoid jail.

Labour called on Ms Sturgeon to resign after it emerged she wrote to a court in support of convicted fraudster Abdul Rauf.

The MSP for Glasgow Govan said she had represented constituent Rauf “entirely properly and appropriately” by submitting the letter ahead of his sentencing at the city’s sheriff court.

But Labour leader Iain Gray said she had made “an appalling error of judgment” and urged her to quit.

Last week Ms Sturgeon and First Minister Alex Salmond were caught up in a row over claims of “cash for access” when it emerged lunch dates with both her and Mr Salmond were auctioned to raise money for the SNP.

Mr Gray said: “If the facts of the case are as they appear and Nicola Sturgeon made such an appalling error of judgment, she must resign.”

Rauf was to be sentenced yesterday after admitting defrauding the Department of Work and Pensions of tens of thousands of pounds but the case was put back for three months.

In her letter to the court Ms Sturgeon said Rauf had already repaid £27,000 of the money owed and had told her he was going to sell a property in Edinburgh to repay the rest of the cash.

Ms Sturgeon pointed out Rauf had suffered from poor health for a number of years and had a family with children under the age of 10.

An SNP spokesman defended the letter.

He said: “Nicola Sturgeon represented her constituent entirely properly and appropriately as the local MSP, as all MSPs are obliged to do under the Parliamentary Code.”