Scotland’s inept and incompetent Education Secretary Mike Russell says he is ‘sorry’ for false college claim, many will ask, is that the truth this time?

Dear All

It seems that after Alex Salmond apologised to Holyrood and then left the chamber with his tail between his legs, it is now the turn of Mike Russell.

Scottish Education Secretary Mike Russell has made a "full and unreserved" apology to MSPs for giving wrong information on college budgets.

Unfortunately this deadbeat hasn’t done the decent thing and resigned his post.

The latest SNP debacle started in June when Russell spouted out that there was no cut in funding in 2012-13.

It actually fell by £9.3m.

Talk about incompetence, we are talking millions here, how can you not notice that?

For the Labour Party this latest row led them to continue the theme that the SNP Ministers are ‘liars’.

And putting on the pressure they said that Russell had "knowingly misled" parliament.

When Alex Salmond went to bat for Russell at FMQ’s, he was pretty cocky in his answer, leaving the chamber; both he and Russell were positively beaming having stuck it to Labour.

A few hours later, he returned to apologise, he left tail between his legs and head down, he looked like a deflated man.

Labour education spokesman Hugh Henry said:

"Mike Russell misled the Scottish Parliament in June, despite knowing the true figures since February. Why has it taken him five months to apologise?"

Mr Henry said that, under the ministerial code, ministers who knowingly mislead parliament were expected to resign.

Given that Alex Salmond is running a clique, I think it is highly unlike that anyone in it knows what the ‘decent thing’ actually is.

Henry said:

"Mike Russell knew in June he had misled this parliament when he said there was no reduction in funding in 2012-13. He then knowingly misled this parliament again last Wednesday when he said 'I have never said that there were no cuts'."

Mr Henry added:

"He as knowingly misled this parliament not once but twice."

His end piece was to ask:

"Why has Mike Russell not offered his resignation?"

Because he is Alex Salmond’s pal and as long as you are Alex Salmond’s pal you can commit any obscenity under his protection and get away with it.

I am reminded of a quote from the movie Gladiator:

“The time for honouring yourself will soon be at an end”.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University