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| Kezia Dugdale: I'll donate part of I'm a Celebrity fee to charity | Kezia Dugdale: I'll donate part of I'm a Celebrity fee to charity |
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| The former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has promised to donate part of her fee from appearing in I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here to a homeless charity as she defended her decision to appear in the show. | |
| Dugdale rejected complaints from her Labour colleagues at Holyrood that taking part in the ITV reality show was akin to taking a second job, but admitted she would be well paid for it. | |
| Speaking to show-business reporters in Australia for the first time since her participation provoked a backlash from other Labour MSPs, Dugdale insisted the show would allow her to connect with voters. | |
| She said she had set aside three weeks’ salary as an MSP for the Rock Trust homeless charity and not a motor neurone disease campaign as previously thought. | She said she had set aside three weeks’ salary as an MSP for the Rock Trust homeless charity and not a motor neurone disease campaign as previously thought. |
| Dugdale launched a @TeamKez Twitter feed on Wednesday morning, featuring a short video clip recorded before she left Edinburgh of her wearing a Rock Trust T-shirt, where she addressed her constituents, and by extension her Labour critics. | |
| WATCH: Kez's message to constituents, explaining why she is appearing on I'm a Celebrity. #TeamKez. pic.twitter.com/suOp0XeqWw | |
| She said in the film: “I appreciate that to quite a few of my constituents, this is quite a controversial move. I know there will be people upset about it, that will question my priorities.” Saying they deserved an explanation, she added: “First and foremost, I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here is a huge UK-wide television programme, with an audience into the millions. | |
| “I think it’s an amazing opportunity to talk to young people who watch this programme about politics, and – in particular – Labour values. | |
| The Daily Record, which employs her as a columnist, quoted her as saying: “I have a record of giving money to charity. This isn’t a second job, this is three weeks out of my work. I’ve given my salary away and I’m going to advocate the values of my party. I’ve been very clear.” | The Daily Record, which employs her as a columnist, quoted her as saying: “I have a record of giving money to charity. This isn’t a second job, this is three weeks out of my work. I’ve given my salary away and I’m going to advocate the values of my party. I’ve been very clear.” |
| The Sun reported that she added: “The minute I get back I am going to go straight from the airport into the parliament and vote. There are no major pieces of legislation that I am going to miss in the three weeks that I am here. I will be back in time to vote in the budget and I will face my constituents then.” | The Sun reported that she added: “The minute I get back I am going to go straight from the airport into the parliament and vote. There are no major pieces of legislation that I am going to miss in the three weeks that I am here. I will be back in time to vote in the budget and I will face my constituents then.” |
| Her decision to take part in I’m a Celebrity infuriated colleagues after the news leaked on Friday night, eclipsing the announcement 12 hours later that Richard Leonard had been elected her successor as Scottish Labour leader after she quit in August. | Her decision to take part in I’m a Celebrity infuriated colleagues after the news leaked on Friday night, eclipsing the announcement 12 hours later that Richard Leonard had been elected her successor as Scottish Labour leader after she quit in August. |
| It emerged she had not been given formal approval to appear on the show, which may involve her missing Holyrood votes. The Scottish Labour group opted not to sanction her on Tuesday but said Dugdale needed to give a full account of her decision after she returns. | It emerged she had not been given formal approval to appear on the show, which may involve her missing Holyrood votes. The Scottish Labour group opted not to sanction her on Tuesday but said Dugdale needed to give a full account of her decision after she returns. |
| Dugdale confirmed she had delayed her arrival on the show, which began on Sunday night with 10 contestants, in an effort to avoid clashing with the Scottish Labour leadership announcement. But it leaked on Friday, two days before she flew out. | Dugdale confirmed she had delayed her arrival on the show, which began on Sunday night with 10 contestants, in an effort to avoid clashing with the Scottish Labour leadership announcement. But it leaked on Friday, two days before she flew out. |
| She is due to arrive at the camp alongside the 12th contestant, radio DJ Iain Lee. This year’s show has endured further controversy after one of the first 10, the YouTube vlogger Jack Maynard, was forced to pull out on Tuesday after the Sun reported he had sent a series of allegedly racist, homophobic and derogatory tweets five years ago. | She is due to arrive at the camp alongside the 12th contestant, radio DJ Iain Lee. This year’s show has endured further controversy after one of the first 10, the YouTube vlogger Jack Maynard, was forced to pull out on Tuesday after the Sun reported he had sent a series of allegedly racist, homophobic and derogatory tweets five years ago. |
| Dugdale admitted she still did not know how much of her appearance fee would go to charity, the Sun reported. “There’s no doubt that I’m receiving a fee for this in return for being away for three weeks, so I’m not suggesting for a second that the sums involved are in any sense small,” she said. | Dugdale admitted she still did not know how much of her appearance fee would go to charity, the Sun reported. “There’s no doubt that I’m receiving a fee for this in return for being away for three weeks, so I’m not suggesting for a second that the sums involved are in any sense small,” she said. |
| “I haven’t settled what portion will go to charity yet as there’s lots of things I have to do, like pay taxes,” she said. “I’ll do that on return, but I have already paid my salary in advance. Raising money for charity is part of the reason I’m doing this.” | “I haven’t settled what portion will go to charity yet as there’s lots of things I have to do, like pay taxes,” she said. “I’ll do that on return, but I have already paid my salary in advance. Raising money for charity is part of the reason I’m doing this.” |
| It is understood she was sent a hefty tax bill from HM Revenue and Customs after arranging last year to get her fee for her Record column sent directly to an MND charity. HMRC told her she was still liable to pay tax on that money, even if she did not receive it. That led her to remove a pledge on her Holyrood declarations of interest page to give all her outside earnings to charity. | It is understood she was sent a hefty tax bill from HM Revenue and Customs after arranging last year to get her fee for her Record column sent directly to an MND charity. HMRC told her she was still liable to pay tax on that money, even if she did not receive it. That led her to remove a pledge on her Holyrood declarations of interest page to give all her outside earnings to charity. |
| The Record reported she wanted a platform to reach a different audience, but also enjoy the challenges and lighthearted elements of the show. “There are lots of people who are critical of the decision I’ve taken to do this who will be hugely satisfied and will enjoy seeing me doing humiliating and difficult tasks,” she said. | The Record reported she wanted a platform to reach a different audience, but also enjoy the challenges and lighthearted elements of the show. “There are lots of people who are critical of the decision I’ve taken to do this who will be hugely satisfied and will enjoy seeing me doing humiliating and difficult tasks,” she said. |
| “This is ultimately a first-rate entertainment programme. In the world we live in just now, with Putin and Trump, we need a little bit of light relief in politics. That’s what I’ll be trying to provide.” | “This is ultimately a first-rate entertainment programme. In the world we live in just now, with Putin and Trump, we need a little bit of light relief in politics. That’s what I’ll be trying to provide.” |
| She played down her prospects of winning the competition, pointing out she had not won any national elections as Scottish Labour leader. But she still planned a long political career. “I fully intend to finish this term as a member of the Scottish parliament and to stand again at the next election,” she said. | She played down her prospects of winning the competition, pointing out she had not won any national elections as Scottish Labour leader. But she still planned a long political career. “I fully intend to finish this term as a member of the Scottish parliament and to stand again at the next election,” she said. |
| “This is a phenomenal opportunity to speak to millions of people across the UK about the difference a Labour government could make and that is what I’m going to do.” | “This is a phenomenal opportunity to speak to millions of people across the UK about the difference a Labour government could make and that is what I’m going to do.” |