ONE of Scotland's highestpaid QCs is to quit his legal career, after bowing to pressure from within his party.
The decision by Gordon Jackson follows pressure to concentrate on his role as an MSP from Margaret Curran, Labour's chief whip at Holyrood, and Lesley Quinn, the party's Scottish generalsecretary.
Mr Jackson confirmed yesterday that he would begin winding up his legal work immediately and plans to end it altogether next summer.
It is understood Labour's ruling Scottish executive last month chose not to endorse Mr Jackson as a candidate for the 2007 Holyrood elections, deferring a decision at Ms Curran's request because of concern at his absences from parliament.
Last week there was a flurry of letters between Mr Jackson and Ms Curran in which he agreed to step down from the law after a career spanning 35 years.
Although both sides said the negotiations had been "very positive", Labour insiders said the Govan MSP had been on the back foot throughout and was ultimately forced to give in.
"This has definitely been a victory for Margaret rather than Gordon, " one said.
Mr Jackson, 57, has made similar pledges before and broken them. In May 2001, after the High Court questioned his absence while he was in Holyrood, he told The Herald he was giving up the law.
"I had made up my mind some time ago to leave the legal profession and concentrate on parliament, but now I have decided to make a public announcement. I have always made it clear my priority would be politics - and that is exactly what I am confirming now, " he said at the time.
However, to the fury of Labour activists, Mr Jackson carried on almost exactly as before. Last year, he earned GBP243,000 in legal aid fees on top of his MSP's salary of GBP50,300.
Last night he said this time would be different.
"I think going into an election year it's an appropriate thing to do, " he said. "I work solely as a court practitioner. I've done that man and boy for 35 years, since I left university."
Asked if he would miss it, he said: "I will have to wait and see, really. I think after that length of time I'm content with what I'm doing really."
Asked how he could convince people to believe him, he said: "There's nothing I think I can do, other than the fact I'm saying it. I think notionally I will be able to conclude [my cases] by next summer."
Nicola Sturgeon, SNP deputy leader, who twice failed to beat Mr Jackson in Govan, said: "Gordon Jackson has made the same promises before and failed to keep them, just like Labour have failed to keep theirs.
"Being an MSP should be a full-time job, and a representative has a duty to devote him or herself to the electorate. The people of Govan deserve a fulltime MSP - it remains to be seen whether Gordon Jackson will be one in the run-up to 2007."
Colleagues in the legal fraternity agreed last night that Mr Jackson would be a loss to the profession. Donald Findlay, QC, said: "Gordon is a considerable defence lawyer with a great capacity to see the issue very clearly and not get bogged down in trivia. He has a unique style, slightly shambolic, slightly bumbling that worked very well and masked a considerable intellect."
Mr Findlay said he believed people could combine the two roles. "Donald Dewar envisaged a part-time parliament where people like Gordon could give up half their time but still keep in touch with their profession." He said he was sure Mr Jackson did not want to give up his legal involvement. Forcing him to do so "was greatly to the detriment of parliament".
David McKie, a partner with Glasgow solicitors Levy and McRae, said: "Gordon Jackson has been one of the best known and prominent QCs in criminal practice at the bar for the past 25 years. "He is not simply a first-class advocate but a real presence and will certainly be missed around the courts. As to combining two roles, it is a decision only he can make. It will depend on his case loads and constituency work."
Mr Jackson has been the MSP for Govan since the start of devolution in 1999. Born in Saltcoats, he studied law at St Andrews University, working as a solicitor from 1971 to 1979, before becoming a QC. One of the wealthiest MSPs, his register of interests includes seven flats in Edinburgh and Glasgow worth GBP730,000.
However, the Midas touch has often deserted him in politics. His habit of rushing from court to the 5pm vote earned him the nickname "Crackerjack", after the children's TV programme which began "It's Friday, it's five to five . . ."
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