Salmond left floundering over city leader's name

The First Minister dropped a clanger when he tried "Jenny Geddes" - the city woman who famously chucked a chair at the minister of St Giles' for using the Anglican Common Prayer Book.

Mr Salmond was responding to a question by Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott on The Gathering when he reportedly then tried "Jenny Gilmour" - one of the event's organisers - as bemused MSPs looked on.

As television cameras homed in on the embarrassed-looking First Minister, he finally settled for "just Jenny" - before eventually recalling that City of Edinburgh Council's leader is Lib Dem Jenny Dawe.

A spokesman for Mr Salmond said: "The First Minister was in absolutely no doubt that the name of the Edinburgh City Council leader is Jenny, even though he was spinning round for her surname."

The SNP leader also hit out at city council chiefs for blocking a deal which, he claimed, would have seen all the creditors from last year's Gathering in Holyrood Park repaid.

Mr Salmond has now agreed to appear before MSPs investigating the way public money was spent on the showpiece event. The private company behind it received a 180,000 loan from the Scottish Government and later collapsed with debts of around 516,000.

Mr Salmond last week rejected a call to appear before the committee to discuss the collapse, but told MSPs at First Minister's Questions yesterday he was ready to give evidence on subsequent efforts to continue with future Gatherings.

However, he could still be on collision course with committee convener Hugh Henry over the timing of his appearance and the questions he is willing to answer. Mr Salmond said he would appear after former Culture Minister Mike Russell had given evidence on the controversial loan given to event organisers and he would talk about efforts for future Gatherings.

Mr Henry said any attempt to dictate what questions he could be asked was "preposterous".

The Gathering was hailed as the centrepiece of the year-long Homecoming programme timed to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns. But Liberal Democrat Tavish Scott told MSPs more than 100 creditors were left out of pocket after the event.

"Now we find the First Minister wants to start a second Gathering event with another 380,000 of taxpayers' money before he's cleared up the mess from the first," Mr Scott said.

In response to the First Minister's comments yesterday, a bewildered Jenny Dawe said: "Alex who forgot my name?"