UK NEWS
SALMOND CALLS OFF HIS LUNCH DATES AS CASH ROW DEEPENS
It emerged that Salmond had agreed to attend a further three fundraising lunches
By Rod Mills
THE “cash for access” row surrounding Alex Salmond deepened last night as it emerged the SNP leader had agreed to attend a further three fundraising lunches.
The SNP made the disclosure in an attempt to “draw a line” under the controversy last week after a businessman pledged £9,000 for lunch with the First Minister.
Yesterday, Mr Salmond revealed he sold three lunches in the Parliament’s restaurant for a total of £1,500 last year, while Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon auctioned a tour of Holyrood for £260.
The events were in addition to the lunches Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon auctioned last week for £9,000 and £2,000 respectively, which led to claims they were trading access for donations to the SNP’s general election campaign.
Yesterday, video footage of last week’s auction in aid of Osama Saeed, the SNP candidate in Glasgow Central, also emerged as Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray called for a full investigation.
Mr Gray said: “What is most disturbing is if the First Minister thought he could routinely sell private meetings to raise funds for the SNP. It shows a complete lack of respect by Alex Salmond for the integrity of the office.”
On Saturday, Mr Salmond wrote to the Parliament’s Presiding Officer saying he was now cancelling all the lunches pending a parliament probe. He also asked the Parliament’s oversight group, the Corporate Body, to issue interim advice on whether auctioning lunches and tours in aid of charity was allowed.
The First Minister has now been reported to the Standards Commissioner over the auction. Yesterday it emerged the £9,000 Holyrood lunch auctioned last week was won by businessman Amin Hussain.
Lawyer Aamer Anwar successfully bid £1,000 for a Holyrood lunch with Mr Salmond last year to raise funds for an SNP Westminster candidate.
Fife Labour MSP John Park said he was “sickened” by footage showing access to Mr Salmond being auctioned. A spokesman for Mr Salmond said that none of the lunches had yet taken place and no donations had been received.
