LABOUR MSPs have received dozens of complaints about Kezia Dugdale brief appearance on I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!.
The complaints centre on claims that Dugdale had neglected her duties as an MSP with her appearance on the ITV reality show. She will go over a month without holding surgeries for constituents.
The Lothian MSP typically holds at least three monthly surgeries, which are advertised on her official website. However, her last constituency surgery was on November 13, while her next one is December 18.
The advert for the latest surgery stresses: "This advice surgery is by appointment only."
A Labour source said that at least one of the party's MSPs had received complaints about Dugdale's absence.
The source said: "The office for this [one] MSP alone has had about 30 complaints about Kez since she said she was going on the show. People have been getting in touch with the office and saying they are angry that an MSP has done this.
"It's not really a case of other MSPs having to pick up the slack for her, but people are really upset about this and they are saying so to our representatives.
"To have about 30 complaints about this is a lot, but that's just one Labour MSP I'm aware of, so there could be more.
"It's bad for the Labour Party and the parliament and most of all for the people who Kez is supposed to be representing."
Dugdale is expected to return to Holyrood this week and to attend the budget debate on Thursday.
Responding to criticisms Dugdale's spokesman said: "Kezia has held over 30 public advice surgeries across the Edinburgh area this year alone, including five throughout the month of November.
"Her parliamentary office remains open and fully staffed, continuing to take on new cases and advance existing ones."
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