Swinney must launch Ministerial Code investigation into ‘sidelined’ justice secretary

Alexis Jay OBE, today August 26th 2014 at Rotherham New York Stadium. Alexis Jay OBE led an independent investigation into child abuse in Rotherham, South Yorkshire between 1997 and 2007, finding that at least 1,400 children had been victims of abuse. See copy RPYGROOM: The report found many shocking incidents of abuse and failures of the relevant authorities to tackle the problems. One young person told the inquiry that “gang rape was a usual part of growing up” in the part of Rotherham where they lived. One of the victims mentioned in the report was referred to childrens services when she was 15-years-old as she had been groomed by an older man involved in the exploitation of other children. Tom Maddick / Rossparry.co.uk

Angela Constance, John Swinney, Russell Findlay and Professor Alexis Jay.

by Bill Heaney

The Scottish Conservatives today urged John Swinney to launch a Ministerial Code investigation into SNP justice secretary Angela Constance for misleading parliament over grooming gangs. 

At First Minister’s Questions, Russell Findlay said Angela Constance had misrepresented leading expert Professor Alexis Jay and misled the parliament in the process by claiming the academic was not in favour of an inquiry on sexual abuse by grooming gangs. 

Findlay said the government must launch a “free, fearless and independent inquiry” on grooming gangs in Scotland because “victims have no faith in this government and no faith in the justice secretary”. 

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “My party asked parliament to instigate a Scottish grooming gangs inquiry. 

“The SNP voted down our proposal and the justice secretary Angela Constance said that was supported by leading expert Professor Alexis Jay. 

“The justice secretary misrepresented Professor Jay, she misled the parliament and she misled the public. Then she went AWOL and hid from scrutiny. 

“The misleading of parliament must be investigated by the independent advisers on the Ministerial Code.  

“John Swinney should support an investigation and, if it finds against the justice secretary, commit to sacking her. 

“Victims have no faith in this government and no faith in the justice secretary. 

“Yesterday’s announcement of a grooming gangs review was announced not by the justice secretary, but by the education secretary. 

“It looks like the justice secretary has been sidelined by John Swinney and that he has privately lost confidence in Angela Constance. 

“The SNP have been shamed into launching a grooming gangs review, but victims believe it will see public bodies marking their own homework and the government controlling the findings. 

“That is why this review is nowhere near good enough, and an independent inquiry is necessary. 

“Victims don’t trust Angela Constance, the SNP or the authorities who failed them.  

“Victims deserve answers. They deserve justice. 

“That can only be achieved with a free, fearless and independent inquiry. Why can’t John Swinney see this?”

Angela Constance originally claimed during a debate on the Victims Bill that Alexis Jay, who once worked as a social worker in Dumbarton,  did not want any further grooming gang inquiries.

Constance said: ‘She [Alexis Jay] shares my view and has put on the record and stated to the media that she does not support further inquiries into child sexual abuse and exploitation, given the significant time and resource already spent in the review that she led, the Casey audit and other reviews.’ (Official report, 16 September 2025, link).