Scottish first minister backs justice secretary amid threat of no confidence vote in grooming gangs row

John Swinney is facing calls to sack his justice secretary, with the Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Labour vowing to bring a vote of no confidence against her amid claims she "brazenly misrepresented" a leading child abuse expert.

However, the first minister is standing by MSP Angela Constance in the wake of comments she made about Professor Alexis Jay. During First Minister's Questions on Thursday, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay insisted Ms Constance had broken the ministerial code.

He said: "If John Swinney won't sack the justice secretary, we will give parliament the chance to have its say with a vote of no confidence." Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused Mr Swinney of "defending the indefensible" as he too urged him to sack his "untrustworthy and incompetent" justice secretary. Mr Sarwar said: "This morning I have lodged a motion of no confidence in justice secretary Angela Constance.

"It is clear that she misrepresented Professor Alexis Jay on an issue as serious as grooming gangs and misled this parliament. "She has had repeated opportunities to apologise and correct the record, but has failed to do so.

"It is now clear that she cannot stay in her position. She must resign, or John Swinney must sack her." When she rejected calls for an inquiry into grooming gangs in September, Ms Constance told MSPs Prof Jay agreed with her that such a probe was not needed.

But emails made public by the Scottish government on Wednesday revealed the professor - who led the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham in 2014 - later contacted Ms Constance to say she would "appreciate" her position "being clarified". Prof Jay added that her comments quoted by Ms Constance at Holyrood had "nothing to do" with the situation in Scotland.

Mr Findlay accused Ms Constance of having "twisted a statement about England to deny victims an inquiry here in Scotland". He said: "The justice secretary brazenly misrepresented a leading child abuse expert in order to block a grooming gang inquiry in Scotland.

"The justice secretary misrepresented an expert, then denied doing so when asked by journalists." ???? Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app ???? He said Ms Constance has failed to correct Holyrood's official record, adding she has "not even apologised". Mr Findlay stated: "Why isn't it obvious to John Swinney that she has broken the ministerial code?" Read more:Scottish government orders review of grooming gangs evidence Mr Swinney claimed Ms Constance "was making a general comment" on the situation when MSPs debated the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Ms Constance's remarks were a "reflection of the general comments that were being made on the issues at that time.