FORMER Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael has admitted that his special adviser leaked – with his knowledge – a memo claiming Nicola Sturgeon would prefer David Cameron in Downing Street to Ed Miliband.

The admission came after a Cabinet Office inquiry into the leak, which triggered a story in a London newspaper on April 3.

Investigators found an official mobile phone was used to make calls to one of the authors of the story. The phone was held by Euan Roddin, who was previously special adviser to Carmichael.

Now the only Liberal Democrat MP in Scotland, Carmichael confirmed that he had agreed with Roddin that the memo should be shared with the press.

The investigation team concluded that Roddin, with Carmichael’s assent, “was the direct source” of the story. Carmichael and Roddin have also accepted the conclusions.

Neither will take their severance pay.