(436)  McLETCHIE LEAVES TODS

 

The leader of the Scottish Conservatives in the Scottish Parliament, David McLetchie, resigned from his partnership in the Edinburgh solicitors’ firm Tods Murray on 18 February 2005.  This followed revelations that he had signed a motion in the Parliament criticising a proposed expansion at Edinburgh Airport at a time when Tods had as clients the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, which is also an opponent of the plans for the airport.  Mr McLetchie had not declared any interest in the matter, and while the Parliamentary Standards Committee had indicated that such a declaration had not been required, it had also said that to avoid any perception of conflict of interest Mr McLetchie should have erred on the side of caution”.  The McLetchie row followed earlier controversy about the First Minister’s failure to declare a holiday which he and his family had enjoyed at New Year with the family of the TV journalist Kirsty Wark at their villa in Spain