SOUTH of Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has been suspended from Scottish Labour after he was arrested and charged in connection with possession of indecent images.

The former general secretary of the Scottish Labour Party lost the whip on Wednesday after it emerged he had been arrested more than a fortnight earlier.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Tuesday, August 5 2025, officers executed a warrant at a property on Marchfield Avenue, Dumfries.

“A 52-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with possession of indecent images. He is due to appear at Dumfries Sheriff Court at a later date.”

Mr Smyth, then a Labour organiser, was elected to Dumfries and Galloway Council in 2007, combining the role with that of Scottish Labour general secretary between 2008 and 2012.

The father of two went on to be elected as a list MSP for the South of Scotland in 2016, and serving as party spokesman for transport, infrastructure and connectivity between 2017 and 2021, Mr Smyth is now listed as an Independent.

Confirming that Mr Smyth had been administratively suspended when the party became aware of the Police Scotland investigation, a spokesman for Scottish Labour said today: “The whip has been removed from Colin Smyth MSP, pending an investigation.

“We cannot comment further on this matter while the investigation is ongoing.”

In a statement released on Wednesday, Mr Smyth said: “These events have come as a shock and this is a deeply stressful time.

“I am obviously co-operating fully with any inquiries and hope the matter can be resolved quickly.

“I am not able to comment further at this stage, and in the meantime, I would ask for the privacy of my family and friends to be respected.”