Oust Constance to spur ‘SNP cover-up culture’

Labour's Sarwar puts pressure on government

- BY KATRINE BUSSEY

A VOTE of no confidence in Scotland's Justice Secretary would see MSPs "reject the culture of cover-up" in the SNP administration, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said. He spoke out ahead of an expected vote of no confidence in Angela Constance at Holyrood today.

Both Labour and the Scottish Conservatives put forward motions of no confidence in her amid accusations that she misrepresented an expert of child sexual abuse, and misled the Scottish Parliament.

Labour, the Tories and Liberal Democrats - who have also said they will vote against Ms Constance - between them have 54 MSPs.

The SNP has 60 MSPs, while the seven Green MSPs have made it clear they will not support the motion, meaning that Ms Constance should survive.

But in a letter sent to SNP and Green MSPs, Mr Sarwar said backing the Justice Secretary would be "sending a clear signal lying is tolerated in the highest ranks of government and abiding by the ministerial code is optional".

He told the Greens and SNP members that, if they voted in support of Ms Constance, they would "be telling the victims that have lost confidence in her that you are more concerned with politics than with justice".