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| Scottish independence: Salmond cleared of breaching ministerial code | Scottish independence: Salmond cleared of breaching ministerial code |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An inquiry has cleared the first minister of breaching the ministerial code over a row about an independent Scotland's status in the EU. | An inquiry has cleared the first minister of breaching the ministerial code over a row about an independent Scotland's status in the EU. |
| Alex Salmond referred himself for investigation by the principal of Reading University, Sir David Bell. | Alex Salmond referred himself for investigation by the principal of Reading University, Sir David Bell. |
| The academic said Mr Salmond was right to seek EU legal advice only after the referendum deal was signed. | The academic said Mr Salmond was right to seek EU legal advice only after the referendum deal was signed. |
| However, he has advised that href="http://sh45inta/About/People/14944/684" >the part of the code relating to legal advice be revised to provide clearer guidance. | |
| The inquiry followed complaints from Labour MEP Catherine Stihler that Mr Salmond had misled the public over the existence of legal advice to back up the Scottish government's position that an independent Scotland would be a member of the EU. | |
| Sir David's report described Mr Salmond's attempts to explain his comments during the row as "muddled" and "potentially confusing". | |
| However, he said there had been no suggestion that the Scottish government had sought to "mislead deliberately" Ms Stihler or Scotland's information commissioner. | |
| Mr Salmond welcomed the report and thanked Sir David for his "very thorough and detailed" work. | |
| He added: "This has been the sixth complaint to be referred to the independent panel of advisers I introduced in 2008 to rule on these matters. | |
| "I am delighted that each complaint has been dismissed and the advisers concluded my ministers and I have acted entirely properly at all times." |