the Tories yesterday called for the Scottish Parliament to be handed sleaze-busting powers to investigate council corruption.
Tory constitutional affairs spokesman Liam Fox, speaking during the report stage debate on the Scotland Bill setting up the Parliament, speaking about sleaze, said: ''It is something which does party politics in this country no good.
''And if we want to see politics held in high regard then we must make sure that it is all above board and that any inquiry into the behaviour of those who take part in local government will be fair and public.''
Dr Fox argued for greater control of Scottish councils after scandals which he said had covered much of West Scotland.
He said: ''We have seen a number of scandals, allegations made in local government in Scotland which I think have given rise to great public disquiet.
''We had the problems with Monklands, which the Labour Party said was an isolated example and we had Glasgow, which was an isolated example, Govan, which was an isolated example and Paisley, which was an isolated example which is a very isolated example if you join up the dots and get the whole of the West of Scotland.''
Labour's Norman Godman (Greenock and Inverclyde) said: ''If any regulations are going to be brought in concerning the authority of our Edinburgh Parliament to scrutinise, and perhaps - if need be - discipline, that has to be on the basis of genuine consultation taking place in Scotland - and not the Commons.''
Mr Alasdair Morgan (SNP Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) accused the Conservatives of raising ''specious and spurious'' arguments in a bid to make party political points.
Scottish Office Minister of State Henry McLeish dubbed the Tories' move ''narrow and unnecessary''.
Criminal corruption would continue to be a matter for the police, he insisted. Local government maladministration could be investigated by the Public Accounts Commission and the Local Government Ombudsman.
Mr McLeish said it was a serious issue and nothing would preclude the Scottish Parliament from making provision to investigate such cases.
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