A SCOTTISH Labour leadership candidate is facing questions after his Wikipedia page was edited to play down past controversies just minutes before his bid was announced.
South Scotland MSP Joe Fagan said he would stand to replace Anas Sarwar in an article for The Daily Record at 7pm on Tuesday, writing that he would “shake up Scottish politics”.
But less than half an hour prior, a Wikipedia account by the name of Bellerophon1975 edited his page – deleting the entire "controversy" section and replacing it with a section dedicated to his time as leader of South Lanarkshire Council.
This is – at the time of writing – the only edit ever made by Bellerophon1975 and was described as "reducing undue weight attached to intra-group squabbles".
The new Wikipedia page does still mention his two-month suspension in August 2023 for leaking confidential information to the press but also adds in various mitigations mentioned by the panel.
He was handed the suspension after an investigation by the Standards Commission for Scotland found he had released a list of leisure and culture facilities identified for closure under the previous SNP administration.
Although there was evidence that Fagan “disagreed strongly” with the closure plans, the panel also believed the leak was motivated “at least in part, for political gain” given the backdrop of the Holyrood election.
Meanwhile, the Wikipedia paragraphs dedicated to complaints by his Scottish Labour colleagues on the council – councillors Monique McAdams and Mathew Buchanan – have also been notably reduced.
For example, the previous version mentioned that Buchanan had criticised Fagan "for his authoritarian leadership and presiding over a culture of intimidation".
It also said that McAdams had criticised Fagan "for placing her on council committees against her will, after which she subsequently took a leave of absence for sickness".
The new sentence reads: "Fagan's leadership was criticised by two Labour colleagues during the term: Monique McAdams over committee appointments in 2022, and Matthew Buchanan in a 2023 letter to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar."
Fagan – who has been approached for comment – is the third MSP to join the race to replace Sarwar after he took a role in Andy Burnham’s government.
Michael Marra, the party’s finance spokesman, and Monica Lennon, who will be offered Sarwar’s Glasgow list seat, have also launched their bids for the top job.
Setting out his stance in his leadership launch, Fagan said: “Scottish Labour needs to learn lessons from where we have won, not just where we have lost.
“Andy Burnham’s by-election victory in Makerfield and our own successes in South Lanarkshire show that Labour can win back trust when we are rooted in communities and serious about changing people’s lives.
“The lesson is simple: people will listen to Scottish Labour again when we stop sounding like a party talking to itself and start proving that we are on their side."
Nominations will officially open for two weeks from Monday August 3, with party members and supporters being balloted from August 28 to September 17 before a leader is announced on September 19.
