FIRST Minister John Swinney faced a double attack from opposition leaders calling for him to sack Angela Constance as Justice Secretary.
At First Minister’s Questions, both Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar pressed Swinney on his support for the under-fire Cabinet secretary.
Both parties have submitted motions of no confidence in Constance, in a bid to force her out of the role, it is understood.
Constance has been accused of misleading Parliament and misrepresenting comments made by a grooming gangs expert amid repeated calls from opposition parties for an inquiry into the issue.
READ MORE: Scottish Labour bid to remove Justice Secretary with no-confidence vote
The Justice Secretary had correctly quoted the expert, Professor Alexis Jay, as saying “people should just get on with it” when it comes to acting to tackle child sexual exploitation, during a Tory bid to force a grooming gangs probe during the passage of the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform Bill.
However, Jay said she had “expressed no views” on the Conservative amendment that had sought to force an inquiry and was instead referring to the situation in England and Wales.
Jay chaired the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales and has ongoing work on Scotland’s national child sexual abuse and exploitation strategic group.
The Herald reports that Jay repeatedly asked Constance to correct the record. While officials quietly issued a correction in October, the newspaper adds, Constance still insisted publicly that she had not misled the Scottish Parliament.
The row became the focus of FMQs as both party leaders attacked Swinney over his support for Constance.
Findlay, who had earlier called for Constance to be sacked or resign, first asked why the Justice Secretary did not correct the parliamentary record.
Swinney responded that the comments were a “reflection of the general comments that were made about the issues of the time”.
Findlay added: “That answer might have held water last week, but it doesn't any more.
“First Minister, the Justice Secretary brazenly misrepresented a leading child abuse expert in order to block a grooming gang inquiry in Scotland.
“The ministerial code requires government ministers to correct any error at the earliest opportunity, and it also states that ministers who knowingly mislead the Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the First Minister.”
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He added that Constance denied misrepresenting Jay and has not corrected the record or apologised, pressing Swinney that it was “obvious” she had broken the ministerial code.
Swinney replied: “For the reasons that I have set out in my earlier answer and also in my answers last week that the Justice Secretary was making a general comment in the victims and witnesses bill and the issue about which Professor Jay was concerned."
After an interruption, Swinney added that the Government and Justice Secretary are “taking forward the essential work which is necessary to make a judgment about whether a separate grooming gangs inquiry is required, because the view that has been expressed to us is not sufficient to take such a decision at this time”.
Swinney pointed out that the Tory amendment that sparked the row relied on a Victims Commissioner to be established, a role which the legislation created and has not yet been filled.
Findlay insisted that Swinney was “not making a general point” and insisted that she had “twisted” a statement made by Jay to “deny victims an inquiry here in Scotland”.
Swinney replied: “One of the points I have been trying to stress to Parliament in the handling of this important issue, and I recognise its importance, is the care the Government has got to take about decisions about a grooming gangs inquiry, given the role of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry that this government established in 2015.”
He added that the inquiry may be able to investigate in certain circumstances, if cases fall within their terms of reference, and that ministers were making sure they "properly respect” the inquiry.
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Findlay accused Swinney of “desperate deflection”, said victims had lost all trust in Constance, and said the party will move to hold a vote of no confidence in her.
The Scottish Labour leader also attacked Swinney. Sarwar said his party had also lodged a motion seeking to hold a vote of no confidence, and accused the First Minister of “defending the indefensible”.
Swinney replied: “What I am doing is setting out to Parliament the substance of this issue and the actions the Government is taking to make sure that we improve the lives of individuals who have suffered in the past, as a consequence of abuse in the care of the state.
“That is what we are doing, and the Government will take forward that agenda.”
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