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| SNP aide resigns over blog smears | SNP aide resigns over blog smears |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A constituency aide to the SNP's constitution minister has stepped down after it was discovered he had used his blogging site to smear rivals. | |
| Mark MacLachlan, who was employed by Mike Russell, said he got carried away and regretted what he had written under the pseudonym Montague Burton. | Mark MacLachlan, who was employed by Mike Russell, said he got carried away and regretted what he had written under the pseudonym Montague Burton. |
| An SNP spokesman said Mr MacLachlan was no longer a party member, and Mr Russell was shocked by the revelation. | An SNP spokesman said Mr MacLachlan was no longer a party member, and Mr Russell was shocked by the revelation. |
| The Universality of Cheese blog has now been closed. | The Universality of Cheese blog has now been closed. |
| Party officials discovered Mr MacLachlan had made lurid allegations about the personal lives of politicians and other public figures. | Party officials discovered Mr MacLachlan had made lurid allegations about the personal lives of politicians and other public figures. |
| Among those reportedly smeared were Lord Foulkes, the Labour MSP, Paul McBride QC, the lawyer and high-profile Tory, and Labour councillors. | Among those reportedly smeared were Lord Foulkes, the Labour MSP, Paul McBride QC, the lawyer and high-profile Tory, and Labour councillors. |
| In an official statement Mr MacLachlan, 46, said: "I unreservedly apologise to all the people concerned, and to Mike Russell. | In an official statement Mr MacLachlan, 46, said: "I unreservedly apologise to all the people concerned, and to Mike Russell. |
| "In getting carried away with my comments, which were very wrong, I have let myself and my colleagues down, and of course I have resigned from my position in Dumfries." | "In getting carried away with my comments, which were very wrong, I have let myself and my colleagues down, and of course I have resigned from my position in Dumfries." |
| Labour hit out at the former aide's actions, branding his behaviour "outrageous and reprehensible". | Labour hit out at the former aide's actions, branding his behaviour "outrageous and reprehensible". |
| A Labour spokesman said: "The vile smears about senior figures from Scotland's other parties are untrue, unforgivable and unprofessional." | A Labour spokesman said: "The vile smears about senior figures from Scotland's other parties are untrue, unforgivable and unprofessional." |