LABOUR MP Ian Murray reportedly held secret defection talks with the Lib Dems last summer.
Senior Lib Dems, quoted in The Times, say the shadow secretary of state for Scotland, “always gave us enough” to suggest that he would consider switching parties.
However, allies of the Edinburgh South MP have rubbished the claims.
“Ian held talks only to discuss how parties could work together to stop Brexit, and when the Lib Dems tried to tempt him to join he told them it was an absolute, categoric no,” a source close to Murray said.
“In their arrogance, they responded by targeting Edinburgh South and wasting resources in the seat, but they were trounced at the election because constituents know there is nobody who did more to fight Brexit than Ian.”
On Friday it was revealed that Murray had been close to leaving Labour as part of mass walkout.
The Times published a photograph of Murray with the MPs who would go on to join the new party, Change UK — The Independent Group.
According to a new book Left Out: The Inside Story of Labour Under Corbyn, the veteran MP changed his mind at the last minute because of the prospect of a candidate from the far left contesting his seat.
On Friday, The Herald reported that a complaint is being prepared for the Labour Party’s governance and legal unit, as well as the party whips in Westminster about Murray’s conduct.
Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Lib Dem MSP, said that his party was “committed to working with like-minded parliamentarians in all parties and none” to help Scotland recover from Covid-19.
“Labour Party members disillusioned by their lack of progress under Richard Leonard should know that the Scottish Liberal Democrats offer a progressive pro-EU, pro-UK alternative and they will find safe harbour with us,” he added
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