Answers Following 'Frenchgate' Leak

Glenrothes MP Peter Grant has pledged to tackle so-called 'obsessive secrecy' within Westminster.

The Fife representative will today push for a debate into Freedom of Information. It comes just three months after a memo was leaked to the Daily Telegraph claiming Nicola Sturgeon wanted the Conservatives to win the general election, something which was later shown to be untrue.

Mr Grant said, “Since then we've seen at least four attempts to use the UK Freedom of Information Act to get the full story of this sordid episode. Every one of them has been blocked, often for the most outlandish of reasons.

"Having deliberately broken every rule in the diplomatic book by leaking the memo, the Scotland Office now claims they can't tell us who else in the UK government received a copy because it would upset the French. They claim it would damage the physical or mental health of some unspecified person if they told us which other ministers knew about this memo. The Secretary of State is even refusing to tell me who was involved in the decision to refuse to answer the earlier requests.

“This obsessive secrecy can only make people wonder what the UK government have got to hide. We know the former Secretary of State was involved and is now facing at least two investigations as a result. Was he the only politician involved, or are they protecting someone else?

“These are important questions and I'm determined that they will be answered fully and truthfully, however long it takes. I will be submitting a further series of questions later this week. I have also entered the ballot to Hold a Westminster Hall debate on the subject to force the Secretary of State to explain himself to MPs before the parliamentary recess starts next week.

“The fact that MPs and journalists have to go to such ridiculous lengths to get the answer to a simple question shows just how little respect the UK government has for the people of Scotland and their elected representatives”

A Scotland Office spokesman said: "The Secretary of State for Scotland first became aware of the memorandum leak when it formed the basis of a story in the Daily Telegraph on 3 April.
 
"The findings of the Cabinet Office enquiry made clear only the former Scottish Secretary and his Special Adviser had any involvement in the leaking of the memo."