Sturgeon did mislead parliament
Ruling sparks calls for leader to quit
NICOLA Sturgeon was facing mounting pressure to step down as Scotland’s First Minister after MSPS last night ruled she had misled holyrood.
A Scottish parliamentary committee found she had potentially breached the ministerial code over the Alex Salmond affair.
The harassment committee concluded the SNP leader had given an ‘inaccurate’ account of a meeting with her predecessor when she appeared before MSPS this month, according to sources last night. it has yet to publish its final report.
Breach of the code would usually be considered a resigning matter. But it is seen as significant the committee did not conclude that she had ‘knowingly’ misled parliament.
The development will significantly increase pressure on Miss Sturgeon before May’s Scottish parliamentary elections. A separate inquiry into her conduct – which is led by an independent Qc – could be key to her future. it is expected to deliver its verdict by early next week.
Miss Sturgeon signalled last night
‘She lied and she must resign’
that she was going to tough it out. She stood by the eight hours of evidence she had given to the committee, adding: ‘What’s been clear is the opposition members of this committee made their minds up about me before i uttered a single word of evidence.
‘This leak from the committee – a very partisan leak before they’ve actually finalised the report – is not that surprising, so let’s wait and see.
‘More importantly, the question of whether or not i’ve breached the ministerial code is being considered independently by James hamilton Qc. i hope and expect to receive and publish that report soon, so let’s wait and see what the final reports have to say.’
Mr hamilton, ireland’s former director of public prosecutions, is due to publish the findings of his investigation in the coming days.
Scottish labour leader Anas Sarwar said: ‘i am not going to prejudge the outcome of the committee report and we await its findings, but if it does conclude that the First Minister has misled parliament and potentially breached the ministerial code then that is incredibly serious.’
Scottish conservative leader Douglas ross said: ‘The committee will publish its findings in the coming days and we will wait for that report. But we have already detailed that Nicola Sturgeon lied to the Scottish parliament and for that, she must resign. All we’re waiting for is confirmation.’
Mr Salmond – Miss Sturgeon’s predecessor as first minister – had claimed she offered to intervene in the sexual harassment investigation he faced three years ago.
he said she made the offer during a meeting at her house on April 2, 2018. his account was corroborated by Duncan hamilton Qc, his legal adviser, who was at the meeting and told the committee that Ms Sturgeon had said: ‘if it comes to it, i will intervene.’
last night, it emerged that members of the committee decided by a majority of five to four that it was misled by Miss Sturgeon’s evidence. The committee has four SNP MSPS on it. A former green MSP who usually votes with them is understood to have sided with opposition members.
The key finding read: ‘ The committee notes there is a fundamental contradiction in the evidence in relation to whether, at the meeting on April 2, 2018, the First Minister did or did not agree to intervene. Taking account of the competing versions of the event, the committee believes that she did in fact leave Alex Salmond with the impression that she would, if necessary, intervene.
‘ This is corroborated by Duncan hamilton, who was also at the meeting. her written evidence is, therefore, an inaccurate account of what happened and she has misled the committee on this matter.
‘This is a potential breach of the ministerial code.’
A spokesman for Miss Sturgeon said: ‘The First Minister told the truth to the committee in eight hours of evidence, and stands by that evidence.
‘it is clear from past public statements that opposition members of this committee had prejudged the First Minister at the outset of the inquiry and before hearing a word of her evidence, so this partisan and selective briefing – before the committee has actually published its final report – is hardly surprising.’
The harassment committee was set up after a successful judicial review by Mr Salmond resulted in the Scottish government’s investigation into the sexual harassment claims being ruled unlawful and ‘tainted by apparent bias’. in 2019, Mr Salmond received a £512,250 payout for legal fees.
The latest revelation comes after Tory Mp David Davis used parliamentary privilege in the house of commons on Tuesday to read out messages that he suggested showed a ‘concerted effort by senior members of the SNp to encourage complaints’ against Mr Salmond.
According to Mr Davis, the messages disclosed by a whistleblower ‘demand serious investigation’, with one alleging the investigating officer in the case complained of interference by Miss Sturgeon’s chief of staff.