By Eric Nicolson

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MSP Keith Raffan—who made the headlines last month after topping the table for expenses with a total of £108,826—has resigned from the Scottish Parliament, citing ill health.

Mr Raffan (pictured), list MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, defended the figure at the time by saying there was a backlog of travel expenses covering a three-year period.

It is known that journalists have inquired about viewing his expenses claims in detail, but there was no suggestion from him yesterday that the issue was relevant to his departure from Holyrood.

However a political opponent has suggested that the questions being asked about Mr Raffan’s travel expenses “must have contributed to his decision to give up his seat.”

In a statement Mr Raffan said, “I have today written a letter to the Presiding Officer in which I have resigned as a member of the Scottish Parliament due to continuing ill health.

“Due to the state of my health it was probable that I would stand down during this Parliament. For over a year now my doctors have been advising me to do so. Over the last two years it has been an uphill struggle to keep on top of my job and to do it as well as I would have liked. I have also had to have further medical treatment during the Christmas recess, which will continue into the new year.”

He said he felt it an appropriate moment to hand over to his successor. This could be Fife Councillor Andrew Arbuckle, who was number two on the Mid Scotland and Fife Liberal Democrat list. Mr Arbuckle—The Courier’s farming editor, and Fife Council member for Newburgh and Tay coast—said last night, “Over the weekend I will be discussing the position with my family, friends and employer and will make my decision known on Monday.”

Mr Arbuckle (60) is father to two grown-up daughters—one a doctor in Aberdeen, the other a lawyer in Perth. He has been a Fife councillor since 1986, and was a farmer in north-east Fife before joining The Courier.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Jim Wallace MSP said, “Since his election in 1999 Keith Raffan has been a strong parliamentary performer, particularly in the chamber, where he has led for the party on crucial issues such as the war in Iraq and on European and international affairs. As well as holding a number of important positions within the party, Keith has been a tireless campaigner for patients suffering from hepatitis C and drug misuse.

“Keith has informed us he is resigning as an MSP on health grounds. I would like to thank Keith for his contribution since 1999, and wish him a speedy recovery and all the best for the future.”

Mr Raffan is not the first list MSP to resign and be replaced by a party colleague next in line. The situation occurred in Mid Scotland and Fife in August 2001, when Conservative list MSP Murdo Fraser took over from Nick Johnston.

Mr Fraser last night questioned whether ill health was the sole reason behind Mr Raffan’s departure, saying, “Keith Raffan was an able debater and his enthusiastic contributions to the parliamentary chamber will be missed.

“Keith’s ill health over an extended period undoubtedly affected his work rate as an MSP.

“In light of this, there were more than a few eyebrows raised last month at the size of his travel expense claims—by far the largest in the Parliament— and I suspect that the questions being asked about this must have contributed to his decision to give up his seat.

“Keith was also, I believe, increasingly uncomfortable with many of the policy stances being taken by the Liberal Democrats, particularly where they voted against their own policies on, for example, GM crops, in order to preserve the coalition with Labour. As a principled politician he found such self-serving behaviour increasingly difficult to stomach.”

Yesterday North-East Fife MSP Iain Smith said, “I have worked with Keith Raffan since we were both elected to the new Scottish Parliament in 1999 and I have always admired Keith’s energy and vigour for campaigning, as well as his strong performances in the chamber of the Parliament, which we will all miss in the future.

“Therefore I was very sorry to learn that Keith intended to resign on the advice of his doctors but I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank him for all the work which he has done both in the Parliament and across the Mid Scotland and Fife region.”