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McConnell faces probe over Wark villa holiday |
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IAN SWANSON
SCOTTISH POLITICAL EDITOR
Edinburgh Evening News 4 February 2005
JACK McCONNELL is to face a full investigation by the Scottish Parliament?s sleaze watchdog into a family holiday in Majorca with broadcaster Kirsty Wark.
Parliament standards commissioner Dr Jim Dyer has completed his preliminary inquiries following two complaints over the First Minister?s failure to declare the trip.
And he has concluded there is enough evidence to warrant a full investigation, which will lead to a report to the parliament?s standards committee, which must then give the final ruling on whether Mr McConnell broke strict anti-sleaze rules.
Mr McConnell, his wife Bridget and their two grown-up children have spent two New Year holidays with Ms Wark and her family at the broadcaster?s villa in Majorca.
But Dr Dyer?s investigation will focus exclusively on the visit at New Year 2003. The time limit for declaring the most recent trip, this New Year, had not expired when the complaints were lodged.
Mr McConnell has insisted there is no need for him to declare either holiday because he does not regard one family staying with another as a gift.
And even if it was classed as a gift, he argues the value of the accommodation did not reach the ?250 threshhold for registration.
Dr Dyer received complaints from David Black, author of a book on the Holyrood building fiasco, and a member of the public, Terry Moore.
The first stage of dealing with any complaint involves establishing that it is relevant, procedurally correct and of enough substance to justify further investigation.
Dr Dyer has decided these tests have been met and he will now begin the second stage, a full investigation, in which he has the power to compel witnesses to attend and to produce documents.
It is understood his main task will be to try establish the value of the hospitality Mr McConnell received and also determine whether the hospitality received by Mr McConnell?s children should be included in the assessment of the "gift" received by the First Minister.
Dr Dyer has given no indication so far whether he plans to quiz Mr McConnell personally on the details of the holiday or whether he will want to interview Ms Wark or her husband Alan Clements.
The investigation must be completed within six months, but given the limited nature of the issues at stake, it may be only a few weeks before Dr Dyer reports to the standards committee.
If the complaints are upheld, Mr McConnell will face the humiliation of having to record the trip in the register of members? interests.
Meanwhile, Mr McConnell has been told he must declare how much a Christmas present from his wife cost.
Bridget McConnell commissioned a painting of the First Minister?s childhood home in Arran for her husband.
But Scottish Parliament rules require MSPs to declare all gifts worth more than ?250 in the register of members? interests - even if they are from family members.
Artist Hamish McDonald?s fee for the picture has been reported as ?1000.
But Ms McConnell is said to be furious about the ruling and even threatening to sue the parliament under human rights laws for what she sees as an intrusion of privacy.
The building featured in the painting, Glenscorrodale Farmhouse, was sold by the McConnell family in 1981 and demolished in 2003 to make way for a Buddhist retreat.
A print of the painting was used as the First Minister?s official Christmas card. |
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