A TV producer has warned that Scottish Labour Party secretary Jack

McConnell will face a ''rough ride'' tonight in a televised debate from

Monklands East.

Words with Wark, to be broadcast on BBC1 at 10.10pm, is expected to

target allegations of nepotism, sectarianism, and corruption in

Monklands District Council.

Last night, constituency MP, Mrs Helen Liddell, confirmed she would

not take part in the programme.

She said that no specific reason was given by producer, Mr Alan

Clements, as to why the debate had to take place in Monklands,

especially since an independent public inquiry was already taking place

into the council's conduct.

''Elected members are not at the beck and call of television companies

but are there to serve their local constituents. I believe this

programme is not in the best interests of my constituents by merely

making these issues a sideshow,'' she said.

Mr Tom Clarke, Labour MP for neighbouring Monklands West, also

confirmed he had declined an invitation to take part because of a prior

engagement in the Commons.

In an article in The Herald today by researcher Gail Birnie and Mr

Clements, husband of the programme presenter Kirsty Wark, Mr McConnell

is warned: ''If the local anger we found is anything to go by, he is in

for a rough ride.''

Part of the debate revolves around the argument that if 15 years is

too long for the Tories to be in power at Westminster, then Labour's

19-year grip of Strathclyde is also too long.

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