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 Donald Dewar"All those named in what was after all an over-exaggerated sales pitch were exonerated"  real 28k The BBC's Iain Macwhirter reports"Should the inquiry have happened at all?" real 28kBBC Scotland's political editor Brian Taylor"The new czar will not stop standards committee investigations" real 28k |
Reid quits PR job
 The committee decided MSPs were innocent |
The son of Scottish Secretary John Reid has resigned from his public relations job following the Lobbygate controversy.
A spokesman for Beattie Media stressed it was Kevin Reid's own decision to leave.
Mr Reid was secretly filmed with a colleague by a newspaper, which reported that the company said it could provide access to government ministers.
The Scottish Parliament's Standards committee has published its final report on the affair, which cleared ministers of any wrong-doing.
No evidence was found that any MSP had breached any code of conduct.
 Christina Marshall was among the witnesses |
The committee's remit only extends to MSPs and its investigation can go no further.
It will now focus on drawing up a code of conduct for MSPs which will include appropriate safeguards against the influence of lobbyists.
The report also recommends the Ministerial Code of Conduct should be re-examined as it makes no reference to lobbyists.
Negotiations are under way to appoint an independent commissioner for parliamentary standards.
The move won widespread support when proposed last month as it would allow allegations against MSPs to be vetted by a legally-trained official, to weed out the trivial, malicious or politically motivated claims.
The standards committee would still have authority to investigate allegations of a serious nature, but a process of pre-scrutiny, similar to the one which operates at Westminster, would ease the committee's workload.
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 | 28 Sep 99 | Scotland |
| Pulling the strings of power |
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| 29 Sep 99 | Scotland |
| Minister denies wrongdoing |
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| 29 Sep 99 | Scotland |
| Dewar heeds calls for official statement |
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| 26 Sep 99 | Scotland |
| Probe launched into lobbying allegations |
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| 27 Sep 99 | Scotland |
| Reid defends lobby row son |
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| 03 Oct 99 | Scotland |
| McConnell pledges to aid standards inquiry |
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| 06 Oct 99 | Scotland |
| MSPs' watchdog pledges speedy inquiry |
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| 29 Oct 99 | Scotland |
| Committee to rule on Lobbygate |
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| 27 Oct 99 | Scotland |
| Secretary disputes Lobbygate evidence |
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| 29 Oct 99 | Scotland |
| Standards watchdog clears McConnell |
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| 31 Oct 99 | Scotland |
| Perjury probe over Lobbygate evidence |
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| 27 Sep 99 | Scotland |
| Suspension call for media company |
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| Beattie Media |
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