Nicola Sturgeon failed to disclose a meeting with controversial media mogul Rupert Murdoch held during an official visit to New York, it has emerged.
The First Minister met the News Corporation chairman during a visit to the offices of the Wall Street Journal on June 9 after holding talks with the editor-in-chief but did not list it in her official engagements. It was also omitted from an in-depth diary published in another newspaper.
The Scottish edition of the Sun, owned by Mr Murdoch, offered strong support to the SNP at the recent election although the UK edition backed the Conservatives.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “If Nicola Sturgeon felt comfortable with her meeting with Rupert Murdoch, then she wouldn’t have been so coy about it.”
Jackson Carlaw, deputy leader of the Scottish Tories, said: “No doubt the SNP’s swathes of socialist supporters will be thrilled at this news of hobnobbing. But why so secret?”
The Scottish Daily Mail disclosed the existence of the meeting. Ms Sturgeon’s diary entry for that day, published in the Herald, said: “10.30. I get a readout from this week’s (Scottish) cabinet meeting on the way to a sit down with the Wall St Journal editorial board.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The First Minister was invited to and attended a meeting of the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal.
“The editor-in-chief invited Mr Murdoch in towards the end of the meeting to greet the First Minister. No private meeting took place.”