SNP chief admits to Salmond messages
SNP chief Murrell behind bombshell leaked texts
THE First Minister’s husband has admitted he sent messages about “pressuring” the police in the Alex Salmond case.
SNP chief executive Peter Murrell is said to regret the wording of the messages, which were revealed by the Daily Record after being passed anonymously to veteran SNP MP Kenny MacAskill.
NICOLA Sturgeon’s husband has admitted sending bombshell messages which show him urging the police to be pressurised over the Alex Salmond case.
Peter Murrell, who is also SNP chief executive, is said to regret the way he worded text messages which are at the centre of a political storm.
As revealed by the Daily Record, SNP MP Kenny MacAskill said he received an anonymous document about the criminal side of the Salmond case.
The document claimed to show text messages by Murrell in January 2019 on the day after Salmond was charged with sexual offences.
It was also the month in which a separate complaint was made about Salmond to the Metropolitan Police, an investigation the London force later dropped.
The first message stated: “Totally agree folk should be asking the policece questions... report now withth the PF on charges which leaves police twiddling their thumbs. So good time to be pressurising them. Would be good to know Met looking at events in London.”
The second message states: “TBH the more fronts he is having to firefight on the better for all complainers. so CPS action would be a good thing.”
Salmond’s allies believe the messages show Murrell stirring up trouble for the former First Minister.
Murrell has now confirmed sending the messages, the
Totally agree folk should be asking the police questions... report now with the PF on charges which leaves police twiddling their thumbs. So good time to t be pressurising them. Would be good
to know Met looking at events in London.
Record has been told by sources familiar with the situation.
On the first message, it is believed his explanation is that he wanted individuals to direct any questions they had to the police.
On the second message, he is believed to be claiming he meant that all allegations should be investigated.
However, he is understood to admit he could have expressed himself better.
The admissions come after Sturgeon faced a grilling on the texts from Tory leader Ruth Davidson at First Minister’s
TBH T the more fronts he is having to firefight fir on the better for all complainers. so CPS CP action would be a good thing.
Questions. Que Quizzed by Davidson, Dav Sturgeon said: “As I understand und it, the obtaining of those thos messages – and the passing pas of them to the committee....is com currently a matter mat of police investigation.”
She Sh added: “I am not standing stan here – and I do not think that it is reasonable – to be asked questions about things that other people might or might not have done. Call the people who the messages are purported to come from and ask them the questions; call me and I will answer for myself.”
Murrell confirming that he sent the explosive messages is likely to fuel calls for action against him.
When we broke the original story, former SNP deputy leader Jim Sillars said of the messages: “If true, it would be wholly inappropriate for the senior official of any political party to appear to be arguing for the prosecution of anyone in our society.
“This is dangerous territory into which Peter Murrell, if true, has trod.
“If there is truth in what you reported, then someone is in a very tenuous position and should realise that.”
MacAskill called on Murrell to be suspended.
MSPs are curre n t ly examining the Scottish Government ’s botched handling of sexual misconduct allegations against Salmond when he was first minister.
Salmond was also separately charged with sexual offences in January 2019, but was acquitted earlier this year.
The SNP declined to comment last night.