‘Murky goings-on’ put Sturgeon’s job at risk
Former aide’s warning on Salmond case
A FORMER aide to Nicola Sturgeon has warned her job is being risked over the “murky goings-on” in the Alex Salmond case.
Campbell Gunn suggested “one or two people” may have to be fired by the First Minster over the Government’s botched handling of the controversy.
He also urged the Government to get “everything out in the open” for the Holyrood inquiry into the scandal.
MSPs are investigating how the SNP Government handled complaints of sexual misconduct against Salmond when he was First Minister.
Salmond took the Government to court and it was accepted the internal probe had been unlawful and tainted by apparent bias. The fiasco cost the taxpayer more than £500,000.
However, the Holyrood inquiry has been marred by claims of Government secrecy over the non-disclosure of information.
In a newspaper article, Gunn, a Salmond ally who worked for both SNP First Ministers, urged t ransparency from the Government: “Avoid the drip-drip of allegations over a long period of time, by getting everything – whether damaging or not – into the open immediately.
“Take the short-term hit for long-term gain. If that means one or two people are forced to resign or are sacked by the First Minister, then surely that’s what has to happen.”
On Sturgeon, he wrote: “No one wants to see Scotland head for independence more than me. And I firmly believe that Nicola Sturgeon is, by a distance, the best person to lead us to that goal.
“But her position is being jeopardised by the almost daily allegations that there were murky goings-on behind the scenes that led to the sexual harassment and criminal charges being laid against Alex Salmond.”
Meanwhile, the Holyrood inquiry appears to be in crisis over claims MSPs are being obstructed. Committee convener Linda Fabiani said colleagues are “completely frustrated” amid the row with the Government over access to documents.
Even though oral evidence has been taken from witnesses, the committee is still waiting for responses from the Government, Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, who is chief executive of the SNP.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We have already provided the committee with over 1000 pages of relevant material, responding directly to the questions asked by the committee, and Government witnesses have provided many hours of oral evidence.
“We intend to initiate legal proceedings seeking to allow the release of further documents.”