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Labour call on Scottish government to repay EU 'advice' costs Scottish independence: Labour call on inquiry into EU advice row
(about 11 hours later)
Scotland's first minister is facing demands to repay thousands of pounds of public money spent on a court battle to prevent legal advice being published. The leader of the Scottish Labour Party has called for a judicial inquiry into First Minister Alex Salmond's handling of the EU legal advice row.
The issue centres on whether the Scottish government had or had not sought legal advice on the EU status of an independent Scotland. In a debate at Holyrood, Johann Lamont said the Scottish government had lost the trust of the electorate.
Labour will use their debating time at Holyrood to call for £12,000 to be given back to the public purse. The row centred on whether the Scottish government had or had not sought legal advice on the EU status of an independent Scotland.
The SNP branded the call "hypocrisy" when compared with Labour's record. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Labour's motion was "desperate".
Scottish Labour business manager Paul Martin claims the row has been "an obscene waste" of public cash and said it should be paid back. She told Ms Lamont that she had failed to establish a proper argument on the issue at First Minister's Questions last week and she was failing again in her Holyrood debate.
Both Mr Salmond and his deputy Nicola Sturgeon said they could not reveal whether the Scottish government held legal advice on an independent Scotland continuing to be a member of the EU because they would be in breach of the ministerial code. The Scottish government spent about £12,000 on a court battle to prevent having to reveal whether it had or had not commissioned advice on Scotland's future EU membership.
Code of conduct Ministers abandoned the case last week when Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament that it did not have advice but was now asking the Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland to give that advice.
The matter went to the courts when Scotland's information commissioner Rosemary Agnew demanded the Scottish government either confirm or deny if legal advice existed, following a freedom of information (FOI) request. Both Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon said that ahead of the Edinburgh Agreement, paving the way for the 2014 independence referendum, they could not discuss the legal advice because they would be in breach of the ministerial code.
But last week a row broke out between the SNP government and opposition parties when Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that, with the referendum deal signed between Holyrood and Westminster, the SNP had now commissioned legal advice on EU membership for the first time. Labour had claimed Mr Salmond was a "bare faced liar", saying he told the BBC in March that he did have legal advice.
Ms Sturgeon also announced the Scottish government was abandoning the legal action it had taken against the information commissioner.
On the same day Labour claimed Mr Salmond was a "bare faced liar", saying he told the BBC in March that he did have legal advice.
The first minister insisted he never said that he had legal advice and the transcript of the interview proves this.The first minister insisted he never said that he had legal advice and the transcript of the interview proves this.
The SNP have long argued the court case was about defending the code of conduct for ministers which prevents disclosure of legal advice, including whether that advice even exists.The SNP have long argued the court case was about defending the code of conduct for ministers which prevents disclosure of legal advice, including whether that advice even exists.
European 'farce' Ahead of the debate, Scottish Labour business manager Paul Martin claimed the row had been "an obscene waste" of public cash and said it should be paid back.
Speaking ahead of the debate on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Martin said he did not understand why taxpayers' money had been spent defending legal advice that did not exist.
He said: "This was an obscene waste of money which only heightens the farce that the SNP has created over Scotland's future in the EU.He said: "This was an obscene waste of money which only heightens the farce that the SNP has created over Scotland's future in the EU.
"If this had really been a point of principle as Alex Salmond claimed, then they would have continued with the case. The reality is this was a delaying tactic as they tried to hide their dishonesty.""If this had really been a point of principle as Alex Salmond claimed, then they would have continued with the case. The reality is this was a delaying tactic as they tried to hide their dishonesty."
Nuclear weapons
Mr Martin added: "We believe that Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon should pay this money back as a gesture of goodwill to the Scottish people they have deceived at our expense."Mr Martin added: "We believe that Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon should pay this money back as a gesture of goodwill to the Scottish people they have deceived at our expense."
Responding on behalf of the SNP, Kenneth Gibson, convener of the finance committee, said Labour should look to their own record in government and the money they spent defending the ministerial code of conduct.Responding on behalf of the SNP, Kenneth Gibson, convener of the finance committee, said Labour should look to their own record in government and the money they spent defending the ministerial code of conduct.
He said: "Just when you think that the Labour Party in Scotland has reached rock bottom, they sink yet even further into hypocrisy.He said: "Just when you think that the Labour Party in Scotland has reached rock bottom, they sink yet even further into hypocrisy.
"Where the Labour-led Scottish Executive took five FOI-related cases to court in two years, this administration has taken just two cases in five years.""Where the Labour-led Scottish Executive took five FOI-related cases to court in two years, this administration has taken just two cases in five years."
And he attacked Labour for being a party "not to be trusted" with public cash.And he attacked Labour for being a party "not to be trusted" with public cash.
Mr Gibson added: "Labour are also at one with the Tories in wanting to waste up to £100bn of taxpayers' money on a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons to be dumped in Scotland."Mr Gibson added: "Labour are also at one with the Tories in wanting to waste up to £100bn of taxpayers' money on a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons to be dumped in Scotland."