Jack claims Freeman ‘misled’ Parliament

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has branded Jeane Freeman a liar and accused First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of stirring “bad feeling” between Scots and the English.

Mr Jack, appearing before the Scottish affairs committee, also hit out at the “confused” Covid messaging being issued across the British Isles, saying “clear, simple messaging UK-wide” would have been preferable.

In an explosive Commons hearing, Mr Jack also clashed with senior SNP MP Pete Wishart over Tory prospects at next year’s Holyrood elections.

Mr Jack recalled an hour-long meeting with Ms Freeman and the UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock on March 12 to plan a response to the Covid-19 crisis.

In evidence to the committee in June, Ms Freeman told MPs she could not recall any communication with Mr Jack.

Asked by Moray MP Douglas Ross who had misled Parliament, Mr Jack said: “She has, the meeting was on March 12 late in the evening and it went on very late until the evening. We agreed at that meeting to joint working.”

Mr Ross said the committee would “have to discuss what to do next” in response to the accusation.

Mr Jack went on to criticise Ms Sturgeon and suggested she had a role in the summer demonstrations at the ScotlandEngland border.

He said: “The idea that the virus was all but suppressed and gone in Scotland and that the prevalence was five times higher in England was repeated many times, it was totally untrue, totally unhelpful.

“It’s that sort of conduct that actually leads to bad feeling.”

During the hearing Mr Jack also clashed with committee chairman Pete Wishart, who accused the UK Government of using the Internal Market Bill to “circumvent” the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Wishart said: “There’s no chance whatsoever the Scottish Conservatives are going to win at next May’s election.

“So instead of actually going to the bother of winning an election, you’re just going to circumvent and get round the Scottish Parliament by directly investing in areas that you want. Is that what’s going on?”

Mr Jack replied: “No, that’s not what’s going on and I think it’s arrogant of you to think that the next election in Holyrood is a foregone conclusion.”