Official Report 428KB pdf
Good morning. I welcome members to the 12th meeting in 2021 of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee.
We have moved into public session for agenda item 2. The committee has been considering a complaint about a former MSP, and I will now read out a statement that sets out the committee鈥檚 findings.
On behalf of the committee, I would like to make the following statement in relation to a complaint against a former MSP.
The committee has considered a complaint from Ms Fiona Johnston and Ms Elizabeth Tennet about former MSP Adam Tomkins. The complaint was that a tweet posted by Adam Tomkins on 1 March was disrespectful towards another MSP. The commissioner concluded that the respondent had breached the code of conduct鈥檚 provisions in relation to courtesy and respect.
The committee is unanimous in the decisions reached on the complaint. It agrees with the acting commissioner鈥檚 findings in fact, but it does not agree with the conclusion that a breach of the code of conduct occurred.
The 鈥淐ode of Conduct for Members of the Scottish Parliament鈥 sets out the standards of conduct for members in relation to their parliamentary duties as an MSP. It specifically excludes members鈥 private and family life and members expressing their political views in their capacity as a member of a political party or organisation.
In considering the complaint, the committee was mindful of the scope of the code of conduct. On balance, it concluded that a link between the tweet in question and the member鈥檚 parliamentary duties was not sufficiently established.
The guidance on the code of conduct makes it clear that its provisions in relation to how members conduct themselves apply in relation to activity on social media, subject to the overall scope of the code. The committee recognises, however, that there might be value in reviewing the guidance so that 成人快手, as well as the public, have a clearer understanding of the interaction between social media postings and parliamentary duties and what falls within the scope of the code. For that reason, the committee intends to look at whether any clarifications to the code or its guidance might be helpful.
Full details of the complaint, and the acting commissioner鈥檚 investigation of it, will be included in the committee鈥檚 report, which will be published later this afternoon.
Thank you. We now move into private session.
10:03 Meeting continued in private until 11:15.Previous
Attendance