‘Bizarre’ no-one has resigned for failings despite huge cost to taxpayers, says former first minister
A former Labour first minister of Scotland, Henry Mcleish, has criticised the Scottish Government for a failure of responsibility over its unlawful handling of sexual harassment complaints against Alex Salmond, and branded it “bizarre” there had been no resignations.
Mr Mcleish, who was appointed first minister in 2000, but was forced from office after just a year over a personal financial scandal, also raised concerns about the ability of the Holyrood committee investigating the government’s actions to complete its work before the Scottish Parliament breaks on March 25.
A former MP before he was elected to Holyrood, Mr Mcleish resigned as first minister after he was found to have sub-let part of his tax-subsidised Westminster constituency office without registering it in the Commons register of interests. he pledged to re pay the £36,000 rental income and stood down, to be replaced by Jack Mcconnell.
He said the contrast between the pressure on him to resign and the current situation where no-one had resigned despite the “huge cost” to taxpayers and the lack of resolution for the two women, was stark.
But he also said he believed the evidence given to the committee did not amount to a resignation matter for Ms Sturgeon.
"Her performance in front of the committee yesterday was what you would expect,” he said. "She’s very skilled and good at messaging. She seized the moment, in a sense, because Alex Salmond has made such fantastical allegations about conspiracies, and she was able to continue her message that he had provided no evidence to prove them.
"I think the conservatives have been quite foolish in saying they had found her guilty before she gave evidence and want her to resign. The evidence does not point to that. But there are still issues to be resolved, that is quite clear.”
Mr Mcleish added: “I do find the lack of resignations quite bizarre. In a sequence of events you can normally identify where the fault lies, where things went wrong. The bill for this botch-up is huge, but it is clear the head of the civil service has neither offered her resignation nor has there been any consideration that she should do that.”