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| Lib Dem minister Alistair Carmichael ordered leak of Sturgeon conversation with French ambassador | Lib Dem minister Alistair Carmichael ordered leak of Sturgeon conversation with French ambassador |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Liberal Democrat minister ordered a civil servant to leak a memo recounting a conversation between the French ambassador and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, he has admitted. | A Liberal Democrat minister ordered a civil servant to leak a memo recounting a conversation between the French ambassador and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, he has admitted. |
| Alistair Carmichael described the move, made during the general election campaign, as an “error of judgement which I regret”. | Alistair Carmichael described the move, made during the general election campaign, as an “error of judgement which I regret”. |
| The leaked document contained a second-hand account of the conversation and claimed that Ms Sturgeon had said she would prefer David Cameron as prime minister compared to Ed Miliband. | The leaked document contained a second-hand account of the conversation and claimed that Ms Sturgeon had said she would prefer David Cameron as prime minister compared to Ed Miliband. |
| Both Ms Sturgeon and the French ambassador denied the version of events presented in the document. | Both Ms Sturgeon and the French ambassador denied the version of events presented in the document. |
| “I had not seen the document before it was published in the Daily Telegraph, however I was aware of its content and agreed that my special adviser should make it public,” Mr Carmichael said in a statement. | “I had not seen the document before it was published in the Daily Telegraph, however I was aware of its content and agreed that my special adviser should make it public,” Mr Carmichael said in a statement. |
| “I should not have agreed this. It was an error of judgement which I regret. I accept full responsibility for the publication of the document. | “I should not have agreed this. It was an error of judgement which I regret. I accept full responsibility for the publication of the document. |
| “I have written today to the First Minister and to the French Ambassador to apologise to them both; had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation.” | “I have written today to the First Minister and to the French Ambassador to apologise to them both; had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation.” |
| I have received letter from @acarmichaelmp apologising for leak and accepting that contents of memo not correct pic.twitter.com/k6Kkt8dkwC | I have received letter from @acarmichaelmp apologising for leak and accepting that contents of memo not correct pic.twitter.com/k6Kkt8dkwC |
| Mr Carmichael’s statement came the same day as the Cabinet Office published the results of its inquiry into the document’s release. | Mr Carmichael’s statement came the same day as the Cabinet Office published the results of its inquiry into the document’s release. |
| The leak, made to the Daily Telegraph newspaper on 3 April, was politically crucial at the time of release as it potentially affected perceptions of who Ms Sturgeon’s party would do a post-election deal with. | The leak, made to the Daily Telegraph newspaper on 3 April, was politically crucial at the time of release as it potentially affected perceptions of who Ms Sturgeon’s party would do a post-election deal with. |
| Polls at the time showed the SNP holding the balance of power in a hung parliament. In the actual event, the Conservatives won a narrow majority. | Polls at the time showed the SNP holding the balance of power in a hung parliament. In the actual event, the Conservatives won a narrow majority. |
| The Cabinet Office’s inquiry found that “there [was] no reason to doubt” the accuracy of the memo’s record of Ms Sturgeon and the French ambassador’s conversation, however. | The Cabinet Office’s inquiry found that “there [was] no reason to doubt” the accuracy of the memo’s record of Ms Sturgeon and the French ambassador’s conversation, however. |
| The civil servant who made the report was found by the Cabinet Secretary to have had “no history of inaccurate reporting, impropriety or security lapses”. | The civil servant who made the report was found by the Cabinet Secretary to have had “no history of inaccurate reporting, impropriety or security lapses”. |
| The leak was made by Euan Roddin, the special advisor to Mr Carmichael. An official mobile phone was used to make the phone call to a Daily Telegraph journalist. | The leak was made by Euan Roddin, the special advisor to Mr Carmichael. An official mobile phone was used to make the phone call to a Daily Telegraph journalist. |
| Mr Campbell is the last remaining Liberal Democrat MP in Scotland and one of only eight elected in this month’s general election after a brutal night for the party. | Mr Campbell is the last remaining Liberal Democrat MP in Scotland and one of only eight elected in this month’s general election after a brutal night for the party. |