INDEPENDENT MSP Andy Wightman used Twitter to make a sly dig at whoever leaked the Holyrood inquiry report into the Government’s handling of harassment complaints against Alex Salmond.
Last night it was reported that the committee voted 5-4, along party lines, that the First Minister gave an “inaccurate” account of meeting with her predecessor during the live investigation.
This would amount to misleading the Scottish Parliament, however it is unclear whether this would be deemed a resignation-worthy offence. According to Sky News, the text agreed by the MSPs does not include the word “knowingly”.
The report, which is still being considered by the committee, is due to be published in the coming days.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon hits out after leak of Alex Salmond inquiry report
The Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints was set up after a successful judicial review by Salmond resulted in the Scottish Government’s investigation being ruled unlawful and “tainted by apparent bias”, with a £512,250 payout being awarded to him for legal fees. He was later cleared of all charges at the High Court.
The First Minister hit out at the “very partisan” leak last night, saying it was “not that surprising”.
“What’s been clear is that opposition members of this committee made their minds up about me before I muttered a single word of evidence, their public comments have made that clear,” she told reporters.
This morning, former Green representative Wightman made his views on the leak clear with a simple screenshot.
He tweeted a section of the MSP Code of Conduct, which forbids the leaking of draft committee reports.
Section 13 reads: “Unless the Parliament or the relevant committee has agreed otherwise, such documents must not be circulated, shown, or transmitted in any other way to members of the public … media or to any member of any organisation outwith the Parliament, including the Scottish Government, nor to other MSPs who are not members of the committee or committees for whom the material was intended.”
MSP Code of Conduct pic.twitter.com/KZp6hoUcIa
— Andy Wightman MSP (@andywightman) March 19, 2021
Section 14 adds: “Members must not provide the media with any other briefings or views on the general contents or ‘line’ of draft committee reports or other confidential material or information. Disclosures of this kind can also seriously undermine and devalue the work of committees.”
In a further leak this morning, the inquiry has reportedly concluded it is “hard to believe” Sturgeon did not know of concerns about the former First Minister’s behaviour before November 2017, as she claimed.
Sturgeon has claimed she was informed about a media inquiry relating to the then-First Minister’s alleged behaviour towards female Edinburgh Airport staff in November 2017 and that was the first she had ever heard of his potential inappropriate behaviour.
Sky News also has reported that the committee believes Sturgeon should have acted upon any information about her predecessor’s conduct.
It also revealed the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints is “concerned” about the meetings Sturgeon had with Mr Salmond after he revealed he was being investigated, and why it took the First Minister more than two months to tell the head of Scotland’s civil service what she knew.
According to Sky News reporter James Matthews, the committee believes: “She should have made the permanent secretary aware as soon as possible after the April 2 2018 meeting, at which point she should have confirmed she would cease contact with Alex Salmond.”
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