'Confused' Salmond didn't breach ministerial code
Friday 11 January 2013
Printable
EmailAn official investigation has found that First Minister Alex Salmond did not breach the ministerial code by referring to nonexistent legal advice on EU membership.
But the investigation did find Mr Salmond gave a "muddled, incomplete and confused" answer in the now-notorious BBC interview with Andrew Neil in October.
Former top Whitehall civil servant Sir David Bell looked into five complaints made by Labour MEP Catherine Stihler.
When asked by Mr Neil if he had sought advice from Scottish law officers on EU membership for an independent Scotland, Mr Salmond's reply began: "Yes, in terms of the debate…"
The investigation recommended that "the Scottish government considers revising those parts of the code relating to legal advice."
Ms Stihler said: "Alex Salmond said he had legal advice on Scotland's relationship with the EU when he hadn't even sought it."
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