Education Secretary rejects Constance investigation calls | UK News

The education secretary has rejected Conservative calls for Justice Secretary Angela Constance to be investigated by independent advisers who oversee the ethics code for government ministers.

Constance is accused by opposition parties of misrepresenting the position of a leading expert on grooming gangs and misleading parliament.

Speaking to Scotland’s Sunday Show, Jenny Gilruth said her colleague had made a general comment and said it was time to move on and focus on victims of child sexual abuse.

Constance is likely to survive a vote of no confidence this week, thanks to the support of Scottish Green MSPs.

Gilruth said the justice secretary had been speaking about the overall approach to the issue and had quoted Prof Alexis Jay’s views accurately in relation to what she had said in January.

She said: “I think it’s the case that if you look at the official report as I have done… there was a number of exchanges between the justice secretary and other MSPs.

“To my reading of it, it was a general comment about the overall approach and it was an accurate quote in relation to the views of Alexis Jay that were held in January, earlier this year.

“There was an ask for clarification to be sought in relation to the strategic group minutes. That was provided for and I think it is important that we move on in terms of providing that reassurance.”

The controversy began in September, when Constance opposed a Conservative amendment to a victims bill calling for an inquiry into grooming gangs.

The justice secretary told MSPs that UK grooming gangs expert Prof Alexis Jay “did not support further inquiries” into child sexual abuse and exploitation.

However, emails released by the government show Prof Jay clarified in September that she made that comment “in the context of the England and Wales Public Inquiry on Child Sexual Abuse, which I chaired”.

She added: “It had nothing to do with [the Conservative] amendment, or the position in Scotland, as could be interpreted from your statement.”

The academic said Scottish ministers should collect “reliable data” about the problem and requested that her position be clarified.

The government issued a clarification in meeting notes last month but not in the Holyrood chamber.

Constance has described her comments about the academic as “accurate” and she has been backed by First Minister John Swinney.

The row took a further twist on Friday when five members of Holyrood’s education, children and young people committee publicly objected to its chair, former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, calling on Constance and Prof Jay to give evidence to the committee on Wednesday.

The four SNP and one independent MSPs said he had abused his position by using his role to pursue his own political goals.

Speaking on Radio Scotland, Ross defended his actions.

“I think it’s a little disappointing to see that from my committee colleagues but I understand there was a split in opinion. Not about inviting Alexis Jay and Angela Constance,” he said.

“In fairness, we were all agreed, but some wish to maybe delay that for a little while. I felt, and other members of the committee felt, it was important to do that as soon as possible.”

Ross said it was important to deal with this ahead of the upcoming Christmas recess.

“There are questions that need to be answered and particularly for victims. Victims are calling for clarity and I think it’s important for them that we get that clarity as quickly as possible.”

He added that he was grateful that both Constance and Prof Jay had agreed to appear on Wednesday.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton MSP accused Gilruth of “taking the public for fools” and repeated the claim Constance had misled parliament.

“This was a car-crash interview that exposed an SNP government in panic mode, closing ranks to protect one of their own,” she said.

“If John Swinney genuinely believed his pathetic excuse – that the justice secretary was only quoting Alexis Jay in general terms – he would welcome an investigation to clear her name.

“But he won’t, because he knows the independent advisers would see straight through this laughable excuse. That’s why he’s running scared.”

The Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats are backing motions of no confidence in the minister.

The Scottish Greens have said they will not back the votes.

A party statement said “protecting children from sexual abuse and securing justice for victims and survivors is our priority, as it should be for every MSP.

“The vote does neither of those, so we will not back it. Survivors deserve so much better than this being turned into a party political issue.”

The Scottish government announced last week that there is to be a national review of the evidence on the operation of grooming gangs in Scotland.

It will be carried out by the Care Inspectorate, the Inspectorate of Constabulary and Education, and Healthcare Improvement Scotland – oversight bodies which are independent of the government.

The work will be overseen by an expert panel led by Prof Jay, who has also been appointed as the new chair of the Scottish government’s national group on child sex abuse.

The expert panel advises ministers on the outcome of the review, which will inform a future decision on whether or not there should be a judge-led public inquiry.