A former Labour MSP has been charged over an alleged early-morning drink-driving incident on Edinburgh's High Street, with a scheduled hearing postponed amid separate ongoing legal matters
The former Scottish Labour politician Colin Smyth is facing a set of criminal allegations after an incident in central Edinburgh in the early hours of 2 November last year. According to prosecutors, the 53-year-old was driving on the High Street around 2am when his vehicle mounted a pavement and narrowly missed a pedestrian.
The charges describe a sequence of events that also involved contact with other objects and behaviour that police said followed the collision.
Those bringing the case say Mr Smyth was found to be over the legal alcohol limit at the time of the incident and that he later failed to report the accident.
The matter was due to be heard at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, but the hearing was postponed for procedural reasons and moved to a later date. The allegations sit alongside other separate legal proceedings that have already affected Mr Smyth’s standing within his party.
Allegations and the reported sequence on the night
Prosecutors allege that, during the early hours on 2 November last year, the vehicle driven by Mr Smyth mounted the pavement on the High Street, coming close to striking a pedestrian. The charges say the car then collided with a parked vehicle and struck two electric bollards positioned outside Edinburgh City Chambers. Witness accounts, as reflected in the charges, include claims that the driver repeatedly exited and re-entered the vehicle and revved the engine after the collisions.
Alcohol level and related driving offences
Among the counts is an allegation that Mr Smyth was driving while more than twice the legal alcohol limit. The papers also list offences such as driving dangerously, failing to stop and report an accident, and exceeding the speed limit. Police statements accompanying the case say a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. These allegations, if proven, relate to recognised road traffic offences that carry serious consequences in Scotland.
Court process and postponement
Mr Smyth was due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to face the charges, but the hearing did not proceed as planned and was deferred for around four weeks for procedural reasons. He did not enter a plea at the first scheduled appearance. The postponement means the case will return to court in due course, allowing prosecutors and defence counsel extra time to prepare and for any procedural matters to be resolved before a substantive hearing.
What the delay means in practice
A delay of this nature is not unusual in complex criminal matters and can reflect administrative steps, disclosure issues or the need to coordinate related proceedings. For observers, it simply means that the facts alleged by prosecutors have yet to be tested in full in court. The charges remain active and the accused retains the statutory presumption of innocence until proof beyond reasonable doubt is established in a sheriff court.
Related investigations and political context
These Edinburgh allegations occurred while Mr Smyth was on bail from proceedings in Dumfries relating to separate offences. Those earlier charges include one under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act described as voyeurism — defined in that legislation as recording someone doing a private act — and another under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act concerning possession of indecent images of children. He appeared at Dumfries Sheriff Court in October last year in relation to those matters and was granted bail.
Following his arrest earlier in the previous months, Mr Smyth was suspended from the Scottish Labour party. He had served as an MSP for the south of Scotland, having first been elected in 2016 and retaining his seat at the 2026 election. Party leaders and political commentators have noted the sensitivity of running criminal proceedings involving a public figure and the potential reputational implications while matters are active in court.
Next steps and public interest
The legal calendar will determine when the Edinburgh charges return to court and how they are sequenced alongside the Dumfries cases. For now, prosecutors have set the matter in motion and a postponed hearing means more time for preparation on both sides. Members of the public and affected parties are likely to watch closely as the process unfolds, mindful of both the seriousness of the allegations and the legal protections that apply to those accused.
Any updates will emerge through court listings and official statements from the Crown and Police Scotland as hearings proceed. Until then, the accusations remain allegations that will require full examination in court, where evidence, witness accounts and legal submissions will determine the outcome.
