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| No permission for Kezia Dugdale to appear in I'm A Celebrity | No permission for Kezia Dugdale to appear in I'm A Celebrity |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Kezia Dugdale was not given permission to join the cast of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, according to the new leader of the Scottish Labour party | Kezia Dugdale was not given permission to join the cast of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, according to the new leader of the Scottish Labour party |
| Richard Leonard said his predecessor sought authorisation from party chiefs to appear on the reality TV show but it was not granted. | Richard Leonard said his predecessor sought authorisation from party chiefs to appear on the reality TV show but it was not granted. |
| However, he told BBC Radio Scotland he was "not persuaded" that she should be suspended from the Labour group. | However, he told BBC Radio Scotland he was "not persuaded" that she should be suspended from the Labour group. |
| Ms Dugdale is expected to join the ITV programme later this week. | Ms Dugdale is expected to join the ITV programme later this week. |
| News of her controversial appearance in the show broke on Saturday - the same day Mr Leonard was named as the new leader of Scottish Labour. | News of her controversial appearance in the show broke on Saturday - the same day Mr Leonard was named as the new leader of Scottish Labour. |
| It provoked a strong reaction from party colleagues and Mr Leonard said the parliamentary group would consider suspending their former leader. | It provoked a strong reaction from party colleagues and Mr Leonard said the parliamentary group would consider suspending their former leader. |
| Asked about the row on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland, he spoke of his "own personal disappointment" at her decision to join the programme. | Asked about the row on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland, he spoke of his "own personal disappointment" at her decision to join the programme. |
| He said: "There are issues not just around the fact that she's there and the kind of programme that it is and people's view of that. | He said: "There are issues not just around the fact that she's there and the kind of programme that it is and people's view of that. |
| "There's also the question about whether she got permission to do that." | "There's also the question about whether she got permission to do that." |
| He added: "My understanding is that she sought permission and wasn't given permission." | He added: "My understanding is that she sought permission and wasn't given permission." |
| Mr Leonard said he had not spoken to Ms Dugdale over the weekend. | Mr Leonard said he had not spoken to Ms Dugdale over the weekend. |
| But he said the Labour group at Holyrood needed to have a "proper discussion" about and whether to take action. | But he said the Labour group at Holyrood needed to have a "proper discussion" about and whether to take action. |
| "I'm not persuaded that the immediate step that the Labour party needs to take is to suspend Kezia from membership of the Labour group but I do think we need to have a discussion about it," said. | "I'm not persuaded that the immediate step that the Labour party needs to take is to suspend Kezia from membership of the Labour group but I do think we need to have a discussion about it," said. |
| During the interview, he was also asked about a tweet by SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth, in which she suggested that Ms Dugdale had been the victim of bullying. | During the interview, he was also asked about a tweet by SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth, in which she suggested that Ms Dugdale had been the victim of bullying. |
| Ms Gilruth - who is in a relationship with the Labour MSP - said: "I see @scottishlabour have developed their own unique take on the final day of #AntiBullyingWeek. Huge props, comrades! #TeamKez." | |
| Mr Leonard said he had not seen the Tweet but he added: "There was certainly a strong reaction on social media when the news broke on Saturday morning and feelings are running high about it. | Mr Leonard said he had not seen the Tweet but he added: "There was certainly a strong reaction on social media when the news broke on Saturday morning and feelings are running high about it. |
| "There's no question about that." | "There's no question about that." |
| The new series of the reality TV show, which is filmed in Australia, began on Sunday night with celebrities including boxer Amir Khan, Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas, and Boris Johnson's father, Stanley, among the contestants. | The new series of the reality TV show, which is filmed in Australia, began on Sunday night with celebrities including boxer Amir Khan, Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas, and Boris Johnson's father, Stanley, among the contestants. |
| Ms Dugdale's father, Jeff Dugdale, said on Twitter that he expected his daughter to make her first appearance on Tuesday. | Ms Dugdale's father, Jeff Dugdale, said on Twitter that he expected his daughter to make her first appearance on Tuesday. |
| Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon used social media to give her backing to her former rival, declaring she was "#teamkez". | Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon used social media to give her backing to her former rival, declaring she was "#teamkez". |