CONSTANCE STILL CLINGING TO JOB DESPITE RULES BREACHES

Justice Secretary found to have broken ministerial code twice yet refuses to quit

- BY DAVID WALKER Scottish Politics Reporter

ANGELA CONSTANCE is refusing to quit as Justice Secretary despite being found to have breached the ministerial code on two occasions.

And First Minister John Swinney has been humiliated after repeatedly claiming his key ally hadn't broken any rules and refusing to refer her to independent investigation.

panel left the for Last night, the Scottish Government was in crisis after being accused of being embroiled in a "cover-up" and whitewash. Ms Constance has gone against established precedent by remaining in her role despite breaking the code. After apologising to MSPs, she defiantly claimed that “walking away is always easier than being held to account”.

The first breach related to the minister misquoting child grooming expert Professor Alexis Jay and then refusing to correct the record when it became clear she had done so. The second breach identified by the ministerial code advisers came when she later phoned the expert to apologise, without having a civil servant on the government call.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “John Swinney insisted for weeks that there was nothing to see here and no breach of the ministerial code by Angela Constance. Well, he was wrong, because his discredited Justice Secretary did breach the ministerial code. She breached it not just once, but twice.