Former First Minister says media meetings should be recorded

Meetings between politicians and media executives should be routinely recorded to help with public trust, former minister Henry McLeish has claimed.

McLeish, Labour's leader at Holyrood in 2000 and 2001, made the comments in light of accusations that senior politicians have become too close to the media.

It follows the publication of private correspondence between First Minister Alex Salmond and News International owner Rupert Murdoch.

Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat leaders have also published details of meetings with media executives.

Mr McLeish said politicians of all parties have sought to get close to the media, pushing the balance too far.

He added: "My idea is that we now move to a position where every MSP, every MP in Scotland, cabinet ministers, shadows, first ministers, shadow leaders, should say 'look, all of these meetings we have will be on the record'.

"I think we need a cut off point though because frankly you can't have every meeting with every journalist recorded."

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Details would be kept of meetings with any executive, above editors, so people know there is a record of what is being said.

"I think that can be included in what we're doing in Scotland without really any major disruptions," he added.

His comments follow criticism of First Minister Alex Salmond by Labour, whose leaders have also been accused of courting Mr Murdoch, whose News of the World newspaper was shut down in the phone hacking scandal.

Mr McLeish said: "In my view, Alex Salmond has done nothing improper, incriminating, illegal or irregular.

"However, like most politicians, I think he'll be slightly embarrassed to read in the cold light of day words that were penned for private eyes.

"That said, I don't think it's about accusing one party or another. The whole thing is much bigger that that.

"I've been concerned about the weakening of our democracy, the weakening of our representation and the growing power and influence of the printed press - certain aspects of it."

He said "of course" Labour politicians have wanted to be close to the press, describing it as an important relationship.

Mr McLeish said he would be happy to have any record of his meetings with senior media executives published.

The Scottish Government published letters between Mr Salmond and Mr Murdoch yesterday. The correspondence was released alongside a list of dates and names covering meetings held with editors, journalists and other executives stretching back to June 2007, shortly after the SNP first took office.

The letters show attempts to bring Rupert Murdoch to Scotland as the guest of honour at the Gathering, a cultural celebration intended as the centrepiece of the Year of Homecoming. The First Minister suggested it would be a great spectacle for coverage by Sky television.

An invitation was extended for Mr Murdoch to join Mr Salmond at a golf event in Kentucky in the US. In another letter, Mr Salmond offered the media tycoon tickets for a performance of the Black Watch play in Brooklyn.

The Sun newspaper, owned by News International, switched from outright opposition to the SNP before the 2007 election to support for the party at the recent election in May.