Scottish hedge fund boffin-eating machine

Who was that Hugh Hendry hedge fund monster on Newsnight last night?

The Scottish hedge fund manager ate up the Spanish ambassador and US academic Joseph Stieglitz as if they were kebab and chips after eight pints in a Dumbarton Road pub.

Hendry has bet millions against the Euro, along with other hedge fund managers, bringing Greece to the edge of the financial abyss.

Hendry was quite unrepentant, shutting up the table with lines like: "Hello, can I tell you about the real world."

"Let me tell you," he said. "Greece is a cheat's charter. Greece has debt that is 107% of its GDP." Scary guy but good television.

Greece came up three times at Prime Minister's Questions today. PM wouldn't rule out Britain being part of a bail out for the beleaguered Balkan nation but Downing Street spokesman sees it an issue for Eurozone members at the informal of the EU leaders in Brussels tomorrow.

What's your MP up to - there's an app for that

I don't know what kind of handheld is favoured by blogging MPs but you can be sure King Blog Tom Harris and Top Tweeter Jo Swinson will be tempted by the latest i-Phone app.

The new software launched today allows constituents to give their views on local and national issues as well as watching and taking part in discussions between their MP and others.

There is also information on surgery times and constituency. Derek Wyatt MP has been trialing the MyMP app in his Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency and more than 5000 people have signed up for the free download.


Wyatt has received hundreds of messages from locals via the app and he is hopeful that many other MPs will use it too.

At least 25 MPs have expressed an interest, though the £2,000 cost for the installation might be a bit offputting, particularly as the controversial communications allowance is being done away with.

At the launch Wyatt said he is very impressed with the sheer volume of messages he has received and believes the ease of use is a major factor in its success.

"Now people can alert me in real time to any issues that I need to address, and they don't have to visit my website to find out what I’m doing," Wyatt said. "I believe this is the way of the future and hope other MPs will follow suit." Go on yourself, Austin Mitchell.

Scotland polls

Today's Herald made for good reading for the Labour party in Scotland and probably gave Alex Salmond another bout of indigestion in the wake of "piegate". I'm still wondering, with the experience the Tories had of trying to auction meals to grease wheels at Westminster, why the SNP would bother trying the same fund-raising stunt at Holyrood.

Anyway, that's beside the point. The poll figures.

At Westminster Labour is on 42%, the highest level since the 2005 General Election. The SNP is up one point to 26%, good but not enough to come near Salmond's target of 20 seats at General Election. (He's notoriously over-optimistic).

The Conservatives are unchanged on 18% and the Liberal Democrats are down a point on 11%.

In the Holyrood vote Labour has gone from trailing the SNP by eight points on both constituency and regional list votes to a lead of two and seven points respectively

Support for Labour in the Holyrood constituency vote at 37% while SNP support fell to 35%

SNP are on 30% in the regional vote and 37% backed Labour.

LibDems and Tories are static on 12% over the last three months, while the Greens improve by one point to 5%.

Okay, got all that. Now the fun part.

Running today's Herald poll figures through the Scotland Votes website gives the following figures:

Westminster result:
Lab 42 MPs (+2)
SNP 7 (-)
Libs 7 (-4)
Con 3 (+2)

Holyrood result:
Lab 53
SNP 42
Libs 15
Con 14
Grn 3
Ind 2

All this has as much bearing on reality as these polls saying that the Tory lead in narrowing so much nationally and that Brown will go for a snap election.It's hard to see Labour gaining in Scotland against the UK tide and local Lib Dem support is usually under-estimated by polling. Hey, but why spoil Labours' ray of winter sunshine?

The big challenge for Labour in Scotland is turn-out of their supporters. They can be motivated by the threat of another Tory government, so deep is the cultural resentment of Thatcherism.

But that 39% to 30% Tory lead is a chimera. It represents Labour votes beginning to stack up in Labour constituencies, the Tories have eaten well into the 117 marginals they need for power. The Tories may be jittery but Labour needs to sew a lot more doubt about team Cameron to see the Tories off.

Retribution will follow humiliation of MPs

First the humiliation and next the retribution. One black day follows another at Westminster over the expenses scandal.

Today nearly 400 MPs, past and present, had the details of their overclaimed expenses paraded in public again in the Legg report. Tomorrow six parliamentarians will find out if they are to face fraud or false accounting charges over their expenses claims.

The Crown Prosecution Service, which has been considering police files of evidence against six MPs and members of the House of Lords, will announce its decision.
Among those known to have been investigated by detectives are Labour MPs Elliot Morley and David Chaytor and Labour peer Lady Uddin.

Morley and Chaytor were examined by the police inquiry for claiming thousands of pounds for mortgages which had already been paid off.

Jim Devine, Labour MP for Livingston, was reportedly under investigation for invoices he submitted for electrical work worth more than £2,000 from a company with an allegedly fake address and an invalid VAT number.

Devine, who was banned from standing again by Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee, protests his innocence. The Daily Record revealed last year that the Livingston MP had reported himself to the police investigation to prove his innocence.

If he is vindicated he has promised vengeance and so the whole sorry expenses tale could take on another twist in the Livingston constituency that Devine inherited from the late Robin Cook. Labour has already selected a candidate to stand in Devine’s place.

Scanning the pages of Sir Thomas Legg’s report the most shocking aspect is the scale of the repayments and the numbers involved. Many details of MPs expenses had been leaked or released before, and £800,000 was repaid before his inquiry began. Legg found another £1.12m that they owed the public purse.

Sir Thomas found that MPs did not uphold the principles of selfishness, accountability, honesty and leadership that public office demands and that heaped shame on Westminster and the reputation of MPs, innocent or otherwise.

While Legg was highly critical of how MPs worked the system his review cost £1.16m which is almost the same as MPs have been ordered to repay. The whole process has been just about self-financing.

Many MPs are furious with Legg, claiming he changed the rules on gardening and cleaning expenses for example and ensnared many otherwise innocent MPs.
There isn’t much sympathy for the political class but spare athought for that one third of MPs who Legg has "no issue" with but who find themselves tarred with the same brush as those guilty of the worst exceesses.

Every sordid detail is there for voters to see now. People can make their own minds up on who should represent them.

Scottish MPs - the repayment list in full

Here's the full list of Scottish MPs and what they owe in expenses repayments. according to Sir Thomas Legg.


Mr Danny Alexander MP
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey

Mr Alexander was overpaid £40.83 for utilities and £4.75 for insurance (totalling £45.58) in 2008-09.
He was paid £125 in April 2007 for financial planning advice which is not allowable under Green Book rules.
He was paid £781 for council tax in 2007-08. This was £120.24 in excess of the council tax charged for that year.
Total repayment recommended: £290.82
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £512.92
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP
Paisley & Renfrewshire South
Mr Alexander has no issues.

Mr Willie Bain, Glasgow North East
Elected in 2009

Mr Gordon R Banks MP Ochil & South Perthshire
Mr Banks has no issues.

Mr John Barrett MP Edinburgh West Mr Barrett has no issues

Miss Anne Begg MP Aberdeen South
Miss Begg has no issues


Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath
The Prime Minister was paid a total of £21,189.53 for cleaning costs between April 2004 and March 2009, exceeding the maximum allowable by £11,189.53.
He was also paid £1,396 twice in April and July 2006 for internal redecoration.
He was further paid £1,302.50 in 2007-08 for garden maintenance, exceeding the allowable maximum by £302.50.
Total repayment recommended: £12,888.03
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £13,723.04
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Rt Hon Desmond Browne MP Kilmarnock & Loudoun
Mr Browne has no issues.


Mr Russell Brown MP Dumfries & Galloway
Mr Brown was paid for 13 months’ rent in 2008-09, resulting in an overpayment of £1,146.63.
Total repayment recommended: £1,146.63
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £1,146.63
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr Malcolm Bruce MP Gordon
Mr Bruce was paid a total of £622 twice for insurance (£309.87 in October 2004 and £312.13 in September 2006).
Total repayment recommended: £622.00
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £622.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr David Cairns MP Inverclyde
Mr Cairns was overpaid by a total of £2,782.30 for his service charge and parking space for January to June 2007.
Total repayment recommended: £2,782.30
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £2,782.30
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell CBE QC MP North East Fife
Sir Menzies was paid £1,490.66 over the period 2006 - 2008 for the services of an interior designer, which are regarded as unnecessary.
Total repayment recommended: £1,490.66
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £1,772.94
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00


Mr Alistair Carmichael MP Orkney & Shetland
Mr Carmichael was paid a total of £243.90 twice for three items: phone bill in September 2005, £70.12; phone bill in December 2005, £42.28; and TV licence in July 2006, £131.50.
He was also paid £90 for legal costs associated with non-payment of council tax in 2007-08 and £146.88 legal fees due to late payment of service charge/ground rent in May 2007. These costs, totalling £236.88, were not allowable under the Green Book rules.
Total repayment recommended: £480.78
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £0.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £480.78

Ms Katy Clark MP North Ayrshire & Arran
Ms Clark was paid a total of £336.39 between November 2006 and January 2007 for mobile phone bills and accessories, which are not allowable under the ACA, although they could be claimed under the Incidental Expenses Provision.
She was also paid £446.50 in January 2007 for removal expenses from the former second home to the main address in August 2006, which was also not allowable.
Total repayment recommended: £782.89
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £782.89
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Rt Hon Tom Clarke CBE JP MP Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill
Mr Clarke has no issues.

Mr Michael Connarty MP Linlithgow & East Falkirk
Mr Connarty was overpaid by £309.02 for service charges during 2004-05.
He was also overpaid by a total of £4,872.54 for mortgage interest for the years 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Total repayment recommended: £5,181.56
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £5,181.56
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP Edinburgh South West
Mr Darling was paid £1,104 for a chest of drawers in February 2007. That exceeded the guideline price of £550 by £554.
Total repayment recommended: £554.00
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £1,512.04
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr Ian Davidson MP Glasgow South West
Mr Davidson was overpaid £474.47 for mortgage interest in 2007-08.
He was paid a total of £120 for court costs associated with non-payment of council tax (£55 in July 2005, and £65 in June 2007).
He was also overpaid by £646.92 for council tax in 2007-08.
Total repayment recommended: £1,241.39
Reduced on appeal by:£474.47
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £766.92
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr Jim Devine MP Livingston
Mr Devine has no issues.

Mr Brian Donohoe MP Central Ayrshire
Mr Donohoe has no issues.

Mr Frank Doran MP Aberdeen North
Mr Doran has no issues

Mr Nigel Griffiths JP MP Edinburgh South
Mr Griffiths was overpaid by a total of £4,005.84 for mortgage interest (£464.51 in 2004-05; £961.38 in 2005-06; and £2,579.95 in 2006-07). Mr Griffiths’ mortgage lender has acknowledged that the interest calculations they provided to the MP, and were used as the basis of his claims, contained errors. The mortgage lender is therefore arranging to reimburse the House of Commons directly for this element, which has yet to be determined.
Total repayment recommended: £4,005.84
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £4,005.84
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr David Hamilton MP Midlothian
Mr Hamilton was overpaid by a total of £2,595.51 for mortgage interest (£783.36 in 2004-05; £511.10 in 2005-06; £304.24 in 2006-07; and £996.81 in 2008-09).
Total repayment recommended: £2,595.51
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £0.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £2,595.51

Mr Tom Harris MP Glasgow South
Mr Harris has no issues.

Mr James Hood MP Lanark & Hamilton East
Mr Hood was overpaid a total of £1,185 in 2006-07 (for the following items: £400 for food, £80 for utilities, £75 for council tax, £100 for telephone and telecommunications, £200 for cleaning, £200 for service/maintenance and £130 for repairs, insurance, security).
He was also overpaid by a total of £3,783.35 for mortgage interest (£2,434.46 in 2004-05 and £1,348.89 in 2005-06).
He was further overpaid by £445.14 for mortgage interest in 2006-07.
Total repayment recommended: £5,413.49
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £5,413.49
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0,00

Mr Stewart Hosie MP Dundee East
Mr Hosie was paid £379.45 in February 2009 for staying in a hotel when his home was flooded. This cost should have been reclaimed from the insurance company.
Total repayment recommended: £379.45
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £379.45
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Rt Hon Adam Ingram MP East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow
Mr Ingram has no issues.

Mr Eric Joyce MP Falkirk
Mr Joyce was over-paid by a total of £5,002.56 for mortgage interest (£1,645.77 in 2004-05, £1,037.59 in 2006-07 and £2,319.20 in 2007-08).
In addition Mr Joyce was paid twice for a claim of £3,000 for mortgage interest for the period November to December 2007.
He was also paid twice in the same period for council tax, cleaning and service/maintenance claims totalling £600.
Total repayment recommended: £8,602.56
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £0.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £8,602.56

Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP Ross, Skye & Lochaber
Mr Kennedy has no issues.

Mr Mark Lazarowicz MP Edinburgh North & Leith
Mr Lazarowicz has no issues.

Rt Hon Thomas McAvoy MP Rutherglen & Hamilton West
Mr McAvoy has no issues

Mr Angus MacNeil MP Na h-Eileanan An Iar
Mr MacNeil was overpaid by £133 for council tax in 2007-08.
Total repayment recommended: £133.00
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £133.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr John Mason MP Glasgow East
Mr Mason has no issues

Rt Hon Thomas McAvoy MP Rutherglen & Hamilton West
Mr McAvoy has no issues

Rt Hon John McFall MP West Dunbartonshire
Mr McFall has no issues.

Mr James McGovern MP Dundee West
Mr McGovern was overpaid by £266.54 in December 2005 for various items of furnishings and hardware.
Total repayment recommended: £266.54
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £794.10
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00


Rt Hon Anne McGuire MP Stirling
Mrs McGuire has no issues.

Miss Ann McKechin MP Glasgow North
Miss McKechin has no issues.

Mrs Rosemary McKenna CBE MP
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East
Mrs McKenna was overpaid by a total of £3,008.93 for rent (2005-06 by £1,195.85 and 2007-08 by £1,813.08).
Total repayment recommended: £3,008.93
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £3,008.93
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Ms Anne Moffat MP East Lothian
Ms Moffat was overpaid by £1,617.09 for mortgage interest in 2008-09.
She was also paid a total of £1,256.44 in 2008-09 for items that related to her main home (£152.16 for insurance, £476.09 for telephone bills and £628.19 for a Sky package).
Total repayment recommended: £2,873.53
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £0.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £2,873.53

Mr Michael Moore MP Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk
Mr Moore has no issues.

Mr David Mundell MP Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale
Mr Mundell was paid for 13 months of rent in 2006-07. This included a payment for rent for March 2006, which was not identified as such and which had not been included in claims for 2005-06. The overpayment involved was £1,300.
Total repayment recommended: £1,300.00
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £1,300.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr Jim Murphy MP East Renfrewshire
Mr Murphy was overpaid a total of £197.46 for mortgage interest over two years of the review period (£9.94 in 2004-05; £187.52 in 2006-07).
He was also paid £380 twice for food in May 2004.
Total repayment recommended: £577.46
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £577.46
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mrs Sandra Osborne MP Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock
Mrs Osborne was paid a total of £1,343.50 twice in April 2004 (£749 for furniture, £544.50 for council tax, and £50 for utilities). She was also overpaid by £1,268.62for rent in 2005-06.
Total repayment recommended: £2,612.12
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £2,612.12
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr Alan Reid MP Argyll & Bute
Mr Reid has no issues.

Rt Hon John Reid MP Airdrie & Shotts
Dr Reid was paid £1,410 twice in April 2007.
In July 2007, he was paid £1,179.63 for removal costs. £975.00 of this was used for the transfer of furniture to a residence in Ireland, which was not an allowable expense.
In April 2008, he was paid £346.88 for marketing the previous second home, which was also not allowable.
Total repayment recommended: £2,731.88
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £7,336.51
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr William Rennie MP Dunfermline & West Fife
Mr Rennie was overpaid a total of £123.10 through duplicate payments for electricity in 2006-07.
He was also overpaid a total of £2,450 through duplicated payments for rent (£1,250 in March 2006 and £1,200 in January 2007).
Total repayment recommended: £2,573.10
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £2,573.60
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr Angus Robertson MP, Moray
Mr Robertson was paid £2,324 in February 2006 for a leather bed settee, exceeding what was necessary by £1,114.
He was further overpaid by £103 in 2007-08 for a DVD player.
Total repayment recommended: £1,217.00
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £1,217.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr John W Robertson MP Glasgow North West
Mr Robertson was paid a total of £1,750 in petty cash between April and November 2004.This was not an allowable expense under the Green Book rules.
He was paid a total of £7,225 for cleaning costs (£2,350 in 2004-05; £2,350 in 2005-06 and £2,525 in 2006-07). These exceeded £2,000 a year by a total of £1,225.
Total repayment recommended: £2,975.00
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £0.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £2,975.00


Mr Frank Roy MP Motherwell & Wishaw
Mr Roy was overpaid by £545.79 for mortgage interest in 2005-06.
Total repayment recommended: £545.79
Reduced on appeal by:£545.79
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr Lindsay A Roy CBE MP Glenrothes
Mr Roy has no issues.

Mr Alexander Salmond MP
Banff & Buchan
Mr Salmond has no issues


Mr Mohammad Sarwar MP
Glasgow Central
Mr Sarwar was paid a total of £123.83 twice for telephone bills in 2005-06.
He was also paid £122.12 in February 2005 for mobile phone bills, which are not allowable under the ACA, although they could be claimed under the Incidental Expenses Provision.
Total repayment recommended: £245.95
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £245.95
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr James Sheridan MP Paisley & Renfrewshire North
Mr Sheridan was overpaid by £200 for food in October 2008.
He was also overpaid by £200 for council tax in May - June 2005.
Total repayment recommended: £400.00
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £779.41
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00


Sir Robert Smith MP West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine
Sir Robert has no issues

Rt Hon Gavin Strang MP Edinburgh East
Dr Strang has no issues

Ms Jo Swinson MP East Dunbartonshire
Ms Swinson has no issues.

Mr John Thurso MP Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross
Mr Thurso was overpaid a total of £548.21 for council tax in three years (£297.95 in 2005-06; £175.10 in 2006-07; and £75.16 in 2007-08).
Total repayment recommended: £548.21
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £548.21
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Mr Mike Weir MP Angus Mr Weir has no issues.

Mr Peter Wishart MP , Perth & North Perthshire
Mr Wishart was overpaid by £1,408.53 for rent in 2007-08.
He was also overpaid a total of £223.97 in 2008-09 (£66.11 for a telephone bill, and £157.86 for an electricity bill).
Total repayment recommended: £1,632.50
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £1,632.50
Balance recommended to be repaid: £0.00

Some noteable former Members of parliament:

Baroness Irene Adams Paisley North
Baroness Adams was paid £2,895 for cleaning costs in 2004-05, exceeding the allowable maximum by a total of £895.
In default of evidence to support payments for mortgage interest of £4,110.00 for the period April 2004 to April 2005, I must regard these payments as having been invalid. Accordingly my recommendation is that Baroness Adams should repay the whole of this sum.
Total repayment recommended: £5,005.00
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £0.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £5,005.00


Mr John Lyons Strathkelvin and Bearsden
No reply has been received from Mr Lyons to a number of letters sent to the address held by the House authorities. In default of evidence to support payments for mortgage interest of £18,780.80 for 2004-05 and April 2005, I must regard these payments as having been invalid. Accordingly my recommendation is that Mr Lyons should repay the whole of this sum.
Total repayment recommended: £18,780.80
Total repayments received since 1 April 2009: £0.00
Balance recommended to be repaid: £18,780.80

Mr David Marshall Glasgow East
Mr Marshall has no issues.

Rt Hon the Lord Martin Glasgow North East
Lord Martin has no issues.

Legg report weighs in with £1.2m repayments

Judgement day has arrived for MPs over the expenses scandal with the publication of the Legg Report.

The official confirmation of what MPs overclaimed on additional Costs Allowance and had to repay is contained in the huge report which is being torn asunder for detail all over the Westminster this morning.

We're just absorbing the detail of the latest chapter in the expenses scandal. Some of it is a reprint of what we already know but more than half of all MPs have had to repay something

The big Tory grandees are the hardest hit - five of them having to replay between £24,000 and £37,000 each. Barbara Follett, the London MP, leads the field in having to repay her personal security costs.
The largest sums ordered to be repaid by sitting MPs - after appeals are taken into account - were £42,458 by Barbara Follett (Lab, Stevenage), £36,909 by Bernard Jenkin (Con, North Essex), £31,193 by Andrew Mackay (Con, Bracknell), £29,398 by John Gummer (Con, Suffolk Coastal), £29,243 by Julie Kirkbride (Con, Bromsgrove) and £24,878 by Liam Fox (Con, Woodspring).
On first glance of the listings Scottish MPs come out with a relatively clean bill of health. Most of them, according to Legg, have “no issues”, which will only increase their anger that they will be tarred with the same brush as their pay-back colleauges.
Eric Joyce, the MP who usually tops the expenses league table, has had to pay back £8,602.56 of mortgage claims. But, oops, it looks like Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister is the biggest of the Scottish pay-back MPs £13,723 for cleaning costs and a little for garden maintenance and redecorating. Ironically Jim devine, who was banned from stadning again over the scandal, has "no issues" according to Legg.

The highlights so far:
Three MPs were ordered to repay more than £40,000, with Legg ordering the highest repayment of just under £65,000. But Sir Paul Kennedy reduced that. The highest repayment is £42,458 is Follett.

On top of that 56 MPs were ordered to repay between £40,000 and £5,000; 182 MPs were ordered to repay between £5,000 and £1,000; 149 MPs were ordered to repay between £1,000 and £100.

Legg is scathing of how MPs milked the system but the review cost £1.2m which is almost the same as MPs have been ordered to repay. It’s a self financing exercise. More later, including I hope, all the Scottish repayments.

Changing of the guard for Scottish Labour

Almost a quarter of Scottish Labour MPs have now signalled their intention to stand down at the general election in what will be a real changing of the guard at Westminster this year.

Nigel Griffith’s announcement that he is to stand down as MP for Edinburgh South after 23 years service brings to nine the number of Labour MPs who will not contest their seats again.

Given the rate at which Scottish Labour MPs are announcing their departures and replacement candidates being found there could be more retirements from the 39-strong Labour ranks before the election.

The change will see jockeying for position in the next few weeks for some of the safest parliamentary berths in the land. Former ministerial advisers could go head to head with veteran local activists for nomination and party bosses still face local skirmishes to impose all-women shortlists in one or two seats.

Most of the departures were expected but Nigel Griffiths kept his cards close to his chest until Friday night. There had been intense speculation that Griffiths, defending a majority of just 405, would look for the exit door after being caught in a Sunday newspaper sex sting which alleged that he cheated on his wife inside the House of Commons

He only signed for his new post, as director of an international educational institution, on Friday afternoon and started putting the wheels in motion to stand down then.

Over 120 MPs from all parties have already announced they are leaving the Commons at the election in what will be the biggest clear out of a generation.

The other big Scottish Labour guns announcing their retirement are former Home Secretary John Reid (Airdie and Shotts),

former Defence Secretary Des Browne (Kilmarnock and Loudon), and former Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram who is standing down in East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow.

Also departing from Westminster is SNP leader Alex Salmond. He is letting go his beloved Banff and Buchan seat to concentrate on the task of being First Minister and MSP for the Gordon constituency. John Barrett, the Edinburgh West Lib Dem MP is also standing down.

Some of the faces of the next generation of Scottish MPS are already familiar to voters. Labour MSP Cathy Jamieson, the former Scottish justice minister, has been selected for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, being vacated by Des Browne.

Jamieson will bring the fight to the SNP which won the equivalent Scottish parliament seat and runs the local council. Labour no longer fear the charge of "dual mandate" - politicians sitting in both parliaments - which they threw at Alex Salmond. The party simply wants the best candidates with the best chance of winning.

Former civil servant and trade union official Michael McCann was nominated as the Labour candidate in East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, last weekend to defend Adam Ingram’s generous 14,723 vote legacy.

The selection process for a replacement candidate for John Reid in Airdie and Shotts hit an obstacle when the local party rejected the idea of an all-women shortlist. Labour’s ruling National Executive Council is now expected to impose an all-female list to make up for the lack of female Labour MPs in parliament.

Most local members had rallied around North Lanarkshire councillor Jim Logue as their candidate, while the party hierarchy appeared to favour Joanne Milligan, a former chairwoman of Scottish Labour students. Johanna Baxter, who is close to Labour’s deputy leader, Harriet Harman, has also been linked to the seat

Rosemary McKenna signalled some time ago that she would retire from as MP for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth which she has served since 1997. Greg McClymont, a local boy who worked as a speechwriter for John Reid and now teaches history at Oxford University, is to return home to stand.

In Glasgow Central the Mohammed Sarwar hopes to hand on the chains of office to his son, Anas Sarwar, the 26 year old dentist who has proved himself to be something of a political livewire.

Scotland’s longest serving MP, Gavin Strang, who was first elected in 1970 and served as a Minister under Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan, is calling it a day in Edinburgh East. Labour’s replacement candidate for the safe seat is Shiela Gilmore, a former Edinburgh councillor.

Another candidate new to Westminster but used to hustings will be former West Lothian Council leader Graeme Morrice who has been selected as the Labour candidate in Livingston. The sitting MP Jim Devine was deselected by the party following a probe of his expenses claims.

The future of Anne Moffat (East Lothian) is in the hands of the NEC after she was recently de-selected by the divided local party. Despite the battles at Prestonpans Labour club the majority of over 7000 makes the seat an attractive prospect for would-be politicians. Edinburgh South, where the Griffiths majority was a slim 405, is likely to be an open selection.

The biggest nomination battle will be over the12,000 plus majority bequeathed by the scourge of the banking classes, John McFall MP. The chair of the Treasury select committee, who held bankers to account over the credit crunch, announced his retirement to the West Dunbartonshire party on Friday night and there is a lot of interest in the seat.

Stephen Ballie, the husband of local Labour MSP Jackie Baillie, is being named as the local favourite but he could face stiff competition. Scotland Office adviser John MacTernan, who worked in Downing Street with Blair, is known to be looking for a parliamentary seat and other former special advisers are looking for safe berths too.

These ambitions could be curtailed if Labour bosses decide on an all-women shortlist. Even after the battle for selection the candidates have to fight a general election campaign too.