Carmichael to face inquiry into conduct

THE PARLIAMENTARY standards commissioner at the House of Commons has launched an official inquiry into the conduct of Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael.

Kathyrn Hudson will investigate the Liberal Democrat politician under paragraphs 10, 14 and 16 of the MPs’ code of conduct, it emerged on Tuesday.

Carmichael has been fighting for his political life in recent days after admitting to leaking a confidential memo with the aim of damaging the reputation of Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and then lying about it.

The three clauses under which Carmichael is to be investigated state:

• 10. Members shall base their conduct on a consideration of the public interest, avoid conflict between personal interest and the public interest and resolve any conflict between the two, at once, and in favour of the public interest.
• 14. Information which Members receive in confidence in the course of their parliamentary duties should be used only in connection with those duties. Such information must never be used for the purpose of financial gain.
• 16. Members shall never undertake any action which would cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, or of its Members generally.

Campaigners in Scotland have raised more than £50,000 to finance a separate legal challenge at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, while a protest was held in the centre of Lerwick on Saturday for the second successive weekend.

Meanwhile, on a visit to Orkney on Monday, Sturgeon herself said: “When Alistair Carmichael finally admitted to leaking the memo about me, the inaccurate memo about me, obviously in an attempt to smear my reputation, he apologised to me and I have accepted that apology.

“But I said then and I think now that the people who were really wronged in this episode were the voters in Orkney and Shetland, because during the election campaign Alistair Carmichael said that he knew nothing about this, and only after the election did he come clean.

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“So he misled voters in Orkney and Shetland and, yes, I do think he owes people an apology and I think he should give them the opportunity to vote again in possession of all the facts.”

There has been widespread condemnation of the MP’s conduct, including from his own party, but there is a divergence of opinion on whether he should resign and trigger a by-election.

Carmichael last week apologised for his behaviour but said he planned to serve a full parliamentary term and work hard to rebuild his constituents’ trust.

Many of those calling for his departure have acknowledged the strong reputation he has built up during his 14 years as Northern Isles MP.

On Tuesday afternoon, Carmichael said: “I shall, of course, cooperate fully with the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner in any way that she requires.”