Campaigner speaks of shock when finding out Carmichael leaked the #frenchgate memo during court testimony
DISGRACED MP Alistair Carmichael has insisted in court that inaccurate claims made in a leaked official memo about Nicola Sturgeon preferring a Tory government reflected a “widely held view of thinking” within the SNP.
Carmichael made the comments while giving evidence at the rarely convened Election Court in Edinburgh, at which he is accused of breaking electoral law by leaking the memo.
Campaigners raised PS127,000 via crowdfunding to launch the legal action against Scotland’s only Liberal Democrat MP. Carmichael could lose his seat in Orkney and Shetland if the court rules against him.
Campaigners raised PS127,000 via crowdfunding to launch the legal action against Scotland’s only Liberal Democrat MP.
The legal challenge arose after Carmichael admitted his involvement in the ‘frenchgate’ affair ; a false statement leaked to the press during May’s election by Carmichael’s special adviser, which alleged that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had told the French ambassador that a Tory government would be preferable to a Labour one.
Despite previously accepting that the memo was fabricated, Carmichael appeared to defend its contents in court, arguing that the allegations of the SNP preferring a Tory government in Westminster reflected a “widely held view of thinking within the Scottish National Party”.
The MP, who at the time was also secretary of state for Scotland, initially denied any involvement in the leak, but a cabinet office inquiry found that he had in fact authorised its release. Carmichael subsequently apologised for what he termed a “mistake”, but refused to resign from office.
Carmichael stated that his behaviour, in denying knowledge of the leak which he himself had authorised, had been “south of the standard that would be expected of the [ministerial] code”.
Carmichael stated that his behaviour, in denying knowledge of the leak which he himself had authorised, had been “south of the standard that would be expected of the [ministerial] code”.
He said he had not asked to see the memo when he heard of it, and added: “Perhaps I should have in hindsight”. He emphasised, however, his view that the allegations contained in the memo reflected a “widely held view about the thinking within the Scottish National Party”.
Also giving evidence in court was Carmichael’s Liberal Democrat colleague and Shetland MSP Tavish Scott. The former party leader, who is standing for election to Holyrood in 2016, condemned the legal challenge as a “show trial … funded by nationalists who don’t like opposition”.
Asked if he had known about the truth of the matter prior to the conclusion of the cabinet office inquiry on 22 May, Scott said he had known on 10 May, though he added: “I didn’t know a lot”.
Scott gave as evidence his statement made to Shetland News on 27 May , in which he announced his support for Carmichael despite being “very disappointed” in the MP.
In response to questioning by Jonathan Mitchell QC, legal agent for the petitioners, Scott said of Carmichael: “He made a political judgement, just as Alex Salmond did when he lied about legal advice on Scotland’s membership of the EU. I think that Alistair has apologised and he deserves a chance to serve the people of Orkney and Shetland. I think people think that this is a political show trial funded by the nationalists who don’t like opposition.”
“It was hard to get your head around the fact that someone you respected and trusted so much would do such a thing as lie to us, the people of Orkney and Shetland.” Fiona Graham, campaigner
Allegations of an “SNP witch hunt” have been heard frequently since the legal challenge began in May. Liberal Democrat activist Sheila Ritchie, on a crowdfunding page set up to raise money for Carmichael’s legal costs, called the legal petition “baseless” and “a ruthless attempt to eliminate any remaining opposition to the SNP in Scotland.” The crowdfunder has raised nearly PS8,000.
The petitioners, known as the ‘Orkney Four’, have denied that their legal challenge is SNP-driven, and state on their crowdfunding site: “This campaign is not supported by any political party but by residents of Orkney and Shetland who are disappointed in the behaviour of their MP and want our politics conducted honestly and without smears.” Fiona Graham, who also gave evidence in court, is an active member of the Scottish Green Party.
When giving evidence, Graham spoke of her shock when she heard that Carmichael had lied.
“It was hard to get your head around the fact that someone you respected and trusted so much would do such a thing as lie to us, the people of Orkney and Shetland,” she said.
The proceedings on Monday marked the first of four days of evidence at the specially convened Election Court in Edinburgh.
Carmichael is charged with breaching electoral law under Section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983. It’s the first such case in Scotland for 50 years.
Picture courtesy of Liberal Democrats