Carmichael Sorry Over Sturgeon Memo
Former Scottish secretary Alistair Carmichael has apologised to both Nicola Sturgeon and the French ambassador to the UK after accepting responsibility for a leaked memo which alleged the Scotland First Minister wanted Tory leader David Cameron to win the general election.
Former Scottish secretary Alistair Carmichael has apologised to both Nicola Sturgeon and the French ambassador to the UK after accepting responsibility for a leaked memo which alleged the Scotland First Minister wanted Tory leader David Cameron to win the general election.
Liberal Democrat Mr Carmichael conceded he should not have agreed to the document being made public by his special adviser, Euan Roddin.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood ordered an inquiry into how the note, which claimed that Ms Sturgeon told ambassador Sylvie Bermann that she would prefer to see Conservatives remain in power after the general election, got into the public domain.
The Cabinet Office investigation concluded that Mr Carmichael could and should have stopped the sharing of the memo'' and added that heaccepts responsibility for what occurred''.
Mr Carmichael, who is now Scotland's only Lib Dem MP after the party lost 10 of its 11 seats north of the border, said that, while he had not seen the document before it was published by the Daily Telegraph, he was aware of its content and agreed that my special adviser should make it public''.
He stated: I should not have agreed this. It was an error of judgment which I regret.
I accept full responsibility for the publication of the document.
I have written today to the First Minister and to the French Ambassador to apologise to them both.''
Mr Carmichael added: Had I still been a government minister, I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation. I have therefore informed the Cabinet Secretary that I will decline my ministerial severance payment.''