Cabinet (Meetings)

– in the Scottish Parliament at on 8 March 2012.

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Photo of Willie Rennie Willie Rennie Liberal Democrat

3. To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the cabinet. (S4F-00517)

Photo of Alex Salmond Alex Salmond First Minister of Scotland, Leader, Scottish National Party

We will discuss issues of importance to the people of Scotland.

Photo of Willie Rennie Willie Rennie Liberal Democrat

In the first edition of The Scottish Sun on Sunday, the First Minister played down the role of The Sun, the News of the World and News International in the phone hacking scandal. By using the defence, “It wasn’t just them—others did it, too,” the First Minister lent his support to Rupert Murdoch, yet was silent on the victims of phone hacking. Does the First Minister believe that hundreds of phone hacking victims and their families will be satisfied with his failure to stand up to News International?

Photo of Alex Salmond Alex Salmond First Minister of Scotland, Leader, Scottish National Party

I do not know whether Willie Rennie managed to attend First Minister’s question time last week, when I reiterated and made absolutely clear my full support for the police investigations south and north of the border and my full support for the Leveson inquiry. Since the then Government did absolutely nothing about it, he should take on board the findings of operation Motorman. I promised last week that the document would be placed in the Scottish Parliament information centre, in case the identification by the information commissioner of potential criminality in respect of data protection had not been fully understood by members. I advise Willie Rennie to read the list, which extends across the London press—there are very few Scottish examples in the analysis. Every part of that document should be analysed, and we should support the police inquiries into phone hacking and the Leveson inquiry to the hilt.

I hope that, now that that has been explained to Willie Rennie, he accepts our total commitment to seeing the law upheld.

Photo of Willie Rennie Willie Rennie Liberal Democrat

The First Minister prefers to cosy up rather than stand up to Rupert Murdoch. Earlier this week, he was caught bragging about Rupert Murdoch’s support for Scottish independence. We have discovered that Rupert Murdoch wants to break up Britain in revenge for the Leveson phone hacking inquiry, and our First Minister is only too happy to leap on that and ignore the victims. That was the trade: “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.” The problem is not the column in The Scottish Sun on Sunday, the fireside chats with Rupert Murdoch or even the free tickets to the golf. The problem is that, rather than stand up to Rupert Murdoch, the First Minister has defended him and put his interest above the interests of the victims. Is the First Minister not ashamed of this grubby deal?

Photo of Alex Salmond Alex Salmond First Minister of Scotland, Leader, Scottish National Party

Willie Rennie would do well to read what I said last week and at least hear my answer to his first question before reading out his second question.

It is reasonable to make the point that the Government is totally committed to upholding the police investigations in England and Scotland, upholding the Leveson inquiry and asking for the law to be enforced and upheld, which clearly has not been done in recent years. I suggest that Willie Rennie has a good look at the findings of operation Motorman to see the extent of potential criminality across the Fleet Street press and the number of titles that were named by the information commissioner in that report.

I was going to talk about Michael Brown, Liberal Democrat donors and how the Liberal Democrats are in no position to lecture anyone about their associates. Liberal Democrats have always wanted to adopt a holier-than-thou position in politics—the party that put the moan into “sanctimony”.