Donations revealed

JIMMY BOYLE, the artist and convicted murderer, has given Labour pounds 5,000 for the Scottish parliament election campaign.

Defending the donation, a party spokesman said: "He is entitled to give his money and support Labour like many other Scots do."

The Scottish Election Commission, publishing details of all donations over pounds 5,000, revealed the largest single donation to any party was from Irvine Laidlaw, a businessman, who gave the Tories pounds 200,000 out of the party's total of pounds 263,100.

Sean Connery, the actor, gave the Scottish National Party pounds 10,700. Labour's total was pounds 166,000 and the SNP's almost pounds 72,000. The Liberal Democrats received pounds 58,100 and the Greens pounds 10,000.