Prince Charles has admitted he privately lobbied Alex Salmond to promote a charity which wanted to win teaching training contracts in Scotland, newly released official documents have revealed.
It comes four months after the Scottish government refused to release the full information regarding the meeting, but Holyrood has finally released the full correspondence between the Prince of Wales and the then first minister in June 2013.
A previously censored letter showed Teach First used a meeting between Prince Charles – who helped set up the charity 15 years ago – and Salmond to pressure the then Scottish education secretary Mike Russell into meeting chief executive, Brett Wigdortz.
A previously withheld email showed the prince’s private secretary Mark Leishman said he ‘would be delighted’ to set up a meeting between Russell and Wigdortz a year before Prince Charles first approached Salmond.
Prince Charles has admitted he privately lobbied Alex Salmond to promote a charity which wanted to win teaching training contracts in Scotland
Following several months denying that he had personally intervened to promote Teach First, a spokesman for Prince Charles admitted he had reached out to the former SNP leader.
A spokesman for the Prince told the Guardian: ‘Given Teach First’s considerable success in improving the fortunes of schools and their pupils in England, it should come as no surprise that, as patron, the duke would offer to share their insight and expertise in Scotland through introductions to key individuals within the organisation.’
Teach First wanted the Scottish government to loosen rules which force Scottish teachers to undertake a one-year postgraduate degree. The scheme has placed thousands of graduates in English and Welsh schools, winning fees for each trainee in each school and scooping government grants in the process.
Russell had refused requests to meet with executives from Teach First until Prince Charles himself became directly involved – and three months after the Prince of Wales met with Salmond, Russell said he would be happy to meet with them.
Teach First executives later met with Nicola Sturgeon when she became first minister, and also with her education secretary John Swinney. He has since launched his own fasttrack programme which resembles some of Teach First’s recommendations.
In August, it was revealed the Scottish government had removed evidence of the Prince’s lobbying campaign and refused to release the email from Leishman. There was also a refusal to admit that Prince Charles had lobbied Salmond at the time.
Salmond hailed the release of the documents, claiming he always believed the information should have been public. He also defended the right for for the royal family to lobby ministers in private meetings.
He told the Guardian: ‘Discussions at royal audiences by their nature are confidential otherwise ministers would hardly be free to advise. This is a characteristic they share with cabinet meetings.
Salmond hailed the release of the documents, claiming he always believed the information should have been public
‘The Duke of Rothesay was well within his rights to suggest a meeting with Teach First. His interest in education and youth employment in Scotland is both well known and well meant and some substantial work has been pursued by his own charities such as the Prince’s Trust and the Scottish Youth Business Trust.’
Teach First has since withdrawn from the fast-track training process, despite its lobbying efforts.
A Scottish government spokesman said: ‘While members of the royal family may write to ministers on a range of issues, they have no role or influence in decision making or the development of Scottish government policy.’