Humza Yousaf's spokesperson repeatedly refuses to say whether Michael Matheson told the truth - full transcript

First Minister's Spokesperson: I think you’re referring to what the DFM said on the radio this morning

Press: And the FM in FMQs didn’t answer either.

First Minister's Spokesperson: Well indeed. The point the DFM was making on the radio this morning was simply that ministers quite rightly always do aim to tell the truth, and if it turns out later that they need to correct the record it is incumbent on them to do that.

“I’ll just put this slightly back on you guys and say, I’m not casting any individual aspersions here, but I’m sure when a newspaper prints something that turns out not to be correct they would later put out a correction saying we’ve got more information then.

Press: So they always try to but they don’t always actually do it?

First Minister's Spokesperson: It’s a point of fact, that if something is said that turns out if the record needs to be corrected the record is later corrected.

Press: Is it? Don’t you reverse engineer statistics to make sure you don’t have to correct the record?

First Minister's Spokesperson: Well I think that’s a point of debate rather than…

Press: It’s a bold line from you on today of all days, surely.

First Minister's Spokesperson: If the DFM had said on the radio this morning, if she’d said that everyone always [inaudible] and no-one has to correct the record, you would just say that how come people have had to correct the record.

Press: Nobody would have believed her.

Press: Has Michael Matheson always told the truth while he’s been in office?

First Minister's Spokesperson: He is under the same obligation as every other minister. I can see what you’re referring to, but on that he’s set his position out and he’s set out his reasons.

Press: Did he tell the truth?

First Minister's Spokesperson: He has set out the reasons…

Press: That’s not the question I’m asking, did he tell the truth?

First Minister's Spokesperson: He has set out the reasons for the answers that he gave, he set out a full explanation to parliament. This is now subject to an independent procedure in parliament so I’m kind of limited in what I can say right now.

Press: To use your previous example of what we would do, would you have posted a correction for what Michael Matheson has said?

First Minister's Spokesperson: Well Michael Matheson gave a statement to parliament.

Press: If he’d have said his first statement in parliament, would his statement have been a correction of the record?

First Minister's Spokesperson: I’m in a slightly complicated situation here because obviously that was a personal statement not a government statement that he was making. But I’m simply saying…

Press: You’re just aiming to tell us the truth though.

First Minister's Spokesperson: I’m simply reflecting what Michael said. He made a statement to parliament.