The former Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael has admitted leaking a memo to the media suggesting Nicola Sturgeon wanted David Cameron to remain as Prime Minister.
The controversial leak, issued during the general election campaign, suggested Sturgeon told the French Ambassador she wanted David Cameron as prime minister.
The First Minister 100% rejected the claim and Carmichael today admitted “the details of the account are not correct”.
The Cabinet Office investigation concluded that Mr Carmichael “could and should have stopped the sharing of the memo” and added that he “accepts responsibility for what occurred”.
I have received letter from @acarmichaelmp apologising for leak and accepting that contents of memo not correct pic.twitter.com/k6Kkt8dkwC
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) May 22, 2015
Mr Carmichael, who is now Scotland’s only Lib Dem MP after the party lost 10 of its 11 seats north of the border, said that, while he had not seen the document before it was published by the Daily Telegraph, he was “aware of its content and agreed that my special adviser should make it public”.
He stated: “I should not have agreed this. It was an error of judgment which I regret.
“I accept full responsibility for the publication of the document.
“I have written today to the First Minister and to the French Ambassador to apologise to them both.”
Mr Carmichael added: “Had I still been a government minister, I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation. I have therefore informed the Cabinet Secretary that I will decline my ministerial severance payment.”