LIBERAL Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael is to stand again for election despite admitting he lied about the leak of a false memo.
Carmichael, who was first elected in Orkney and Shetland in 2001, saw his majority cut to 3.6 per cent in 2015 – down from more than 51 per cent in 2010.
Prior to the 2015 General Election, Carmichael had approved the leak of a false memo to The Daily Telegraph alleging that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon preferred the Tory Party’s David Cameron as the next prime minister. At the time of the leak he denied all knowledge of it, but later apologised after his role was identified by a Cabinet Office inquiry.
After the election Carmichael accepted the contents of the memo were incorrect, and admitted he had authorised the leaking of the inaccurate memo to the media then lied about it.
He apologised and accepted that had he still been a government minister, this was a matter that would have “required his resignation”.
Four electors from Orkney and Shetland then lodged an election petition attempting to unseat Carmichael and force a by-election.
The constituents raised the action under the Representation of the People Act 1983, claiming he misled voters over the leaked memo before the election.
However, the election court decided that although he had told a “blatant lie” in a television interview, it had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt that Carmichael had committed an “illegal practice” and he was allowed to retain his seat.
In February last year his application for costs was rejected, leaving him £150,000 out of pocket.
Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie contributed £750 towards his costs, and Carmichael was also awarded a further £50,000 towards them from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.
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