SELF-CONFESSED lying MP Alistair Carmichael has admitted that he tried to mislead a Cabinet Office investigation into the Frenchgate memo.

Jonathan Mitchell QC, who is appearing for four of his Orkney constituents, said his response to the investigation into the leaked memo was “calculated and intended to mislead”.

The MP replied: “Yes, truthfully I would have to say that.”

Carmichael was giving evidence to the second day of an Election Court sitting in Edinburgh – the first court of its type in Scotland for more than 50 years.

The Orkney four claim the leaking and then his lying about his role in the inaccurate memo – which sought to damage Nicola Sturgeon – broke the law.

The memo wrongly claimed the First Minister had told the French ambassador that she would prefer David Cameron to remain in Downing Street following May’s election.

Carmichael initially denied any part in the leak, but following the Cabinet Office probe he admitted that he had authorised his special adviser Euan Roddin to leak it to an English Tory newspaper.

He told the court he was initially “less than fully truthful” with the inquiry, claiming that his purpose was to “keep the focus on the story and not the leak”.

And he denied a suggestion from Mitchell that he was using Roddin as “an insurance policy”, saying: “I have never regarded my special adviser in that way”.

The trial continues.