Scottish Justice Secretary Angela Constance has faced intense scrutiny from Holyrood's education committee, just one day after surviving a vote of no confidence. The session centred on her inaccurate statement to parliament and her failure to promptly correct the official record.
A Failure to Correct the Record
The controversy stems from Constance previously telling Holyrood that child abuse expert Professor Alexis Jay shared her view on not establishing a grooming gangs inquiry. This statement was inaccurate. Despite this, even as she sat before the committee, she had not yet corrected the parliamentary record—a process that can be completed online with minimal effort.
Committee chairman Douglas Ross highlighted the simplicity of the task, noting it was "five clicks from the parliament’s homepage." The fact a cabinet minister needed this explained was seen as a significant indictment. Constance later confirmed she had begun the correction process, an action many argue is a duty under the Ministerial Code, not an act of generosity.
Potential Second Breach Emerges
The evidence session took a further turn when it was revealed Constance had apologised to Professor Jay over the phone. Ross immediately questioned which officials were present on the call. Constance admitted there were none.
This admission pointed directly to a potential second breach of the Ministerial Code. Paragraph 8.13 of the code stipulates that an official must be present on any ministerial calls. Thus, Constance may have inadvertently breached the rules a second time while attempting to address her initial transgression. When asked if this merited its own investigation, Constance responded with a pained "No, I don't."
Committee's Bafflement and Constance's Defence
Other committee members expressed frustration. Willie Rennie sighed, "I don’t get this," questioning why she couldn't have been upfront from the start instead of offering a "constant reinterpretation of events." Constance conceded the delay in providing clear information was "unsatisfactory."
In her defence, Constance framed her predicament in dramatic terms, telling MSPs, "I would hope we would all have the humility to recognise that your fate doesn’t always rest in your hands. At times it can rest in others, and that is my philosophy." She also volunteered that if she was guilty of anything, it was being "very task-focused."
The session concluded with little clarity resolved, but it starkly highlighted the ongoing scrutiny of the Justice Secretary's conduct and her adherence to the standards expected of government ministers.
