Jackie Baillie has said she would support an investigation into leaks from the Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Government’s unlawful investigation of Alex Salmond.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, the Deputy Scottish Labour leader said she would “absolutely” support an inquiry.
The Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Government’s unlawful investigation of Alex Salmond published its findings on Tuesday morning.
The findings are separate from those of James Hamilton, who reported on Monday that there had been no breach of the ministerial code by the First Minister over her role in the saga.
The Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints concluded that Nicola Sturgeon misled the committee, with a “fundamental contradiction” in her evidence on whether she agreed to intervene in a Scottish Government investigation into complaints by two woman against the former first minister.
READ MORE: Confirmed: Nicola Sturgeon 'misled' Alex Salmond inquiry, MSPs find
It said that, in a meeting at her Glasgow home on April 2 2018, Ms Sturgeon “did in fact leave Mr Salmond with the impression that she would, if necessary, intervene”.
The report continued: “Her written evidence is therefore an inaccurate account of what happened, and she has misled the committee on this matter.”
The committee found this is a potential breach of the ministerial code but added that Mr Hamilton’s report was the “most appropriate place” to address the question of whether Ms Sturgeon had breached the ministerial code.
The four SNP committee members did not agree with the finding that she misled the committee, which was among the conclusions leaked last week.
Ms Baillie said: “The leaks against the women were particularly bad, because they had the bravery to come forward to speak to the committee.
“It was entirely inappropriate that that information was leaked to the public domain.”
When asked if she leaked the evidence to the press, Ms Baillie responded “absolutely not”, adding: “I would never do that. These two women were very brave in coming forward. I regret the fact that information was leaked. It shouldn’t have been.”
Ms Baillie added: “When a committee meets in private, then that is exactly what they should be – particularly when you’re dealing with such sensitive issues.
“For the two women to come along and give their evidence, for it then to be shared in the public domain, is simply not acceptable.”
Committee members have held 14 public evidence sessions, questioning a range of witnesses about the development of the complaints policy that was used unlawfully, the handling of the allegations, Mr Salmond’s successful judicial review and the ministerial code.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the Scottish Government will look at the recommendations of the reports, which showed failures in the way ministers handled the complaints, to consider what they want to take forward.
He said: “I accept the conclusion of the report, that was agreed unanimously, which agreed that the best place to address if the First Minister had breached the Ministerial Code rests with James Hamilton, and he reported yesterday and cleared the First Minister of any wrongdoing.”
Presenter Laura Maxwell said: “James Hamilton said that the First Minister gave an incomplete narrative of events. It’s hardly a ringing endorsement of her recollection of events.”
Mr Swinney said the report showed Mr Hamilton had cleared the First Minister of any wrongdoing, adding: “His report shows very clearly that the First Minister did not break the Ministerial Code.
“That is the fundamental conclusion of his inquiry and puts to rest months and months of smear and innuendo towards the First Minister.”
He added that Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie was misleading the public, by saying that the Government refused to release information.
He said: “After the Parliament voted twice for the Government to release legal information, I took the unprecedented decision of releasing information to the committee for their private consideration - and they were able to see that information on specific advice that was circulated.”
He added: "I released the full legal advice before the First Minister appeared before the committee.
"But for Jackie Baillie to come on [GMS] and spin another misleading argument that I did nothing after those reports, is frankly a perpetuation of the misleading approach of members of this committee - Jackie Baillie is one of them who has been happy to pronounce, publicly on many of these questions and to mislead the public in the process."
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