Alex Salmond cleared of wrongdoing over Euromillions winners meeting

ALEX Salmond has been cleared of breaching the Scottish Ministerial Code after having Euromillions winners Colin and Chris Weir round to tea at his official Bute House residence in Edinburgh.

• Euromillions winners Colin and Chris Weir donated £1 million to the SNP in September 2011

• Former Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini found no breach of Scottish Ministerial Code

• Salmond said the report underlined that there had been no ‘impropriety whatsoever’ at the meeting

The couple donated £1 million to the SNP four days after the visit in September last year. Labour MSP Paul Martin complained that the trip to the Edinburgh residence broke the rules by using public facilities to chase political donations.

But former Lord Advocate, Dame Elish Angiolini, now an independent adviser to the Scottish Government on the Ministerial Code, has found there was no breach of the code during this meeting. She ruled that Bute House can be used by ministers to host personal or party events - provided that no cost falls on the public purse.

Her report states: “The tea and biscuits were provided from the First Minister’s private resources stored in his apartment at Bute House.”

It adds: “The nature and substance of any discussions which took place are not relevant to the Code. The First Minister has nonetheless indicated that there was no discussion about money or donations and confirmed that the visit took place in private with only the First Minister in attendance.”

The report concludes: “There has been no breach of the Scottish Ministerial Code and no prima facie evidence forming the basis of a stateable complaint under the Code.”

Mr Salmond said it underlined there has been no “impropriety whatsoever” at the meeting.

“I welcome the report and I am sure that Mr Martin will also be reassured by Dame Elish’s conclusions, which demonstrate that I acted entirely in accordance with the Scottish Ministerial Code,” he added.

“This will be the fifth complaint to be referred to the independent panel of advisers I introduced in 2008 to rule on these matters. I am delighted that each complaint has been dismissed and the advisers concluded my ministers and I have acted entirely properly.”