McConnell defends friendship with Wark
Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell has issued a robust response to criticism of his close friendship with Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark.
Mr McConnell and his wife and family spent the New Year at Ms Wark’s holiday villa in Majorca.
Opposition politicians have seized on the news and questioned whether the pair’s friendship has compromised Ms Wark’s political neutrality. Ms Wark is widely expected to anchor the BBC’s general election coverage in Scotland.
In addition, it is Ms Wark’s media company that refused to hand over taped interviews with key Scottish politicians to the Fraser inquiry into the building of Holyrood.
Speaking this morning on the Today programme, Mr McConnell said the two families had been friends for nearly 20 years, adding there had “never been any question about Kirsty Wark’s impartiality” in all the time he had known her.
“I think it’s very important to remember that in this instance what we have is one family with a son and a daughter staying with another family with a son and a daughter in their house, family friends for nearly 20 years,” he said. “No question whatsoever that there was anything wrong or anything that’s ever influenced either Kirsty Wark or I in our jobs and I hope that clears up this matter once and for all.”
Regarding opposition claims that their friendship raised questions about the suitability of Ms Wark to cover the general election in Scotland, Mr McConnell said that was “entirely a matter for the BBC and for Kirsty”.
“I think it would be a very sad day if politicians, or for that matter broadcasters, dropped their friends, dropped families that they were closely associated with, just simply because of their positions,” he said.
He also did not accept that he could have done more to ensure tapes of a documentary about the Holyrood Parliament made by Ms Wark’s TV company had been handed over to the Fraser inquiry.
“This is a good example of how that very close family friendship has not affected the way we do our jobs,” he said. “At this time last year I was personally calling on the company I believe [was] contracted by them, although I’m not sure of all the details, to make that documentary to hand over the tapes to the inquiry and doing that publicly in a public disagreement with them.”
But Scottish opposition politicians are likely to keep up the pressure.
Speaking last night, Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie questioned why Mr McConnell’s stay had not been declared in the register of interests.
He said: “The public would assume that a free stay at a Spanish villa is a gift worth more than £250. Consequently, it should be declared within 30 days in Jack McConnell’s register of interests. There are also rules governing overseas trips.
“He now needs to explain why this previous holiday was not declared, since even if there was any ambiguity then he should either have declared it anyway for the avoidance of doubt, or sought advice from the Parliament. He should therefore publish any such advice immediately to clarify the situation and avoid the accusation that there is one rule for Jack McConnell if he stays with a prominent BBC politics presenter and another rule for every other MSP.
“It is time for him to give some answers.”
