Week-long ban too harsh says McKie-leak MSP

Published on Thursday 21 September 2006 11:57

EDINBURGH MSP Mike Pringle, who is facing a week's suspension from Holyrood over leaked information, today claimed the penalty was too harsh for the offence.

The Scottish Parliament's standards committee ruled the Edinburgh South Liberal Democrat had breached the MSPs' code of conduct by showing a document relating to the Shirley McKie fingerprint case to a Sunday newspaper.

It recommended he should be barred from meetings of the Scottish Parliament for a week after he admitted the leak. The committee also said he should consider quitting the Justice 1 Committee.

Mr Pringle said he accepted the committee's decision but was shocked at the proposed sanction. "I think it is harsh," he said. "I said immediately it was me and I apologised to everyone."

He claimed the leak only took place because he had been given the impression the committee clerks had agreed he should release the information. He pointed out the committee had already agreed to publish the document and it came out ten days later.