Tag: Ministerial Code

Scotland’s Ministerial Code updated

Changes to improve transparency

The Scottish Ministerial Code has been updated to further strengthen transparency and propriety.

Updates to the Code include:

  • New text reflecting the updates to the procedure for handling complaints by civil servants about the behaviour of a Minister or former Minister, making clear that for future complaints certain information about concluded cases will be made public, including the Minister’s name, the nature of the complaint and the outcome of the complaint, even after a Minister has left office, and setting out the obligation on Ministers to cooperate with the procedure. 
  • The introduction of an annual review of Ministers’ private interests, and proactive publication of these interests on an annual basis, to enhance integrity and transparency around actual or perceived conflicts of interest.  In addition, new text has been introduced to provide additional clarity for Ministers on managing overlaps between their Ministerial responsibilities and constituency interests.
  • General updates on provisions for maternity leave and to reflect the introduction of the Bute House Agreement, as well as minor amends to take account of digital developments, new published strategies and changes in Ministerial titles and responsibilities.

The First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “This new edition of the Ministerial Code sets the highest standards of propriety and transparency for Government Ministers. All Scottish Ministers, including myself, are bound by its terms and are committed to uphold the Principles of Public life, ensuring integrity, accountability and honesty at every level of leadership.

“Scottish Ministers are committed to building a better future for the people of Scotland while facing the profound challenges of our time. This will mean taking some tough decisions to ensure that we support those in greatest need, and it is vital that we are guided in this mission by a clear set of principles.”

2023 edition of the Ministerial Code.

Ministerial Complaints procedure.

The first annual review of Minister’s private interests will publish early in the next parliamentary session.

Hamilton report: Sturgeon clears first hurdle

Ministerial Code report published: First Minister cleared of code breach

The independent report by Mr James Hamilton on the First Minister’s self-referral under the Scottish Ministerial Code has been published.

Mr Hamilton is a former Director of Public Prosecutions in Ireland and has been an independent adviser on the Code since January 2013, having been appointed by Alex Salmond when he was First Minister.

He was asked to assess whether there had been any breach of the Code by the First Minister, the nature of any such breach and, if a breach had occurred, to advise on the appropriate remedy or sanction.

Mr Hamilton looked at the following:

  • the First Minister’s meeting with Geoff Aberdein on 29 March 2018, and the meetings / telephone calls with Mr Salmond on 2 and 23 April, 7 June and 14 and 18 July 2018
  • whether the First Minister misled Parliament about these meetings
  • whether the First Minister attempted to influence the conduct of the investigation
  • whether the First Minister broke the code by continuing with the judicial review.

On each point he found the First Minister had not breached the code, saying in his conclusions at para 18.2 of the report: “I am of the opinion that the First Minister did not breach the provisions of the Ministerial Code in respect of any of these matters.”

Mr Hamilton’s report, formally commissioned by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, was delivered to the Scottish Government yesterday. In line with the First Minister’s commitment to Parliament, the report has been published on the day of receipt.

The report is published in full, except for information that needs to be excluded to comply with court orders in force to protect the identity of complainers. In a covering note to the report Mr Hamilton has acknowledged that redactions will be necessary.

Commenting, Mr Swinney said: “I want to thank Mr Hamilton for his thorough and impartial assessment of the facts. 

“People can read the report for themselves, but the rigour and independence of his investigation is clear.

“This report is the formal outcome of the self-referral under the Ministerial Code made by the First Minister on 13 January 2019. I hope that everyone will now accept that Mr Hamilton’s conclusions are comprehensive and evidence-based.”

Mr Hamilton’s report said Ms Sturgeon had given an “incomplete narrative of events” to MSPs but he said this was not deliberate, rather a “genuine failure of recollection”.

While Mr Hamilton’s report relieves some of the pressure on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, a Holyrood committee is expected to take a very different view when it finally publishes it’s findings this morning.

It’s parliament’s responsibility to hold the government to account, and a cross-party committee of MSPs has been scrutinising the government’s handling of the complaints against former First Minister Alex Salmond.

The committee’s work has been hampered throughout by obstructions placed in their way by the government and the Crown Office, but their final report is expected to be highly critical of Ms Sturgeon’s recollection of events. The report is likely to accuse the First Minister of misleading their investigation – that’s parliament-speak for lying.

The Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints will formally publish its full report at 8am.

In a pre-emptive strike, Ms Sturgeon has already dismissed the committee’s report as ‘partisan’.

The Scottish Tories also plan to hold a vote of no confidence in the First Minister today, but this seems doomed to failure as the SNP Government has the support of the Scottish Greens.

When all this is over, it’s full steam ahead to May’s elections – and it remains to be seen whether any of the above will make any difference at all to voting intentions. Was this a deliberate attempt to subvert our democracy – or just a Salmond Sturgeon stooshie of interest only to political anoraks and conspiracy theorists?

Voters, it’s over to you …

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