The Scotsman
Andrew Denholm
AN INVESTIGATION is to be held into allegations that Jack McConnell, the First Minister, lied to the Scottish Parliament.
George Reid, the Presiding Officer, announced the inquiry after Mr McConnell was repeatedly accused of lying by Tommy Sheridan, the leader of the Scottish Socialist Party.
Mr Reid stepped in after a simmering feud between Mr McConnell and Mr Sheridan, which has run for several weeks, boiled over during yesterday’s session of First Minister’s Question Time.
Mr Sheridan accused the First Minister of lying to parliament over the war in Iraq just a week after making similar accusations over comments by Mr McConnell about the Scottish Socialists’ policy on drugs.
The SSP leader based his claims on claims by the First Minister made in the run-up to war when he referred to intelligence material that suggested Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Sheridan said: "I know you have a problem with honest answers, but in light of recent comments ... in relation to weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, will you now be honest and mature enough to admit that you were wrong? Will you apologise for misleading parliament, or is it the case that you think lying in parliament is now an acceptable practice, as you did last week in relation to the SSP drug policy?"