Calls for judicial inquiry into SNP ‘scandal’
Tory leader calls for judicial inquiry on handling of sexual misconduct probe into ex-first minister
Tory leader accuses Nicola Sturgeon of misleading Parliament about meeting with aide over Salmond allegations
RUTH Davidson yesterday demanded a judicial inquiry into the “scandal” over the Scottish Government’s handling of sexual misconduct complaints against Alex Salmond.
The Scottish Tories’ leader at Holyrood said it was “beyond belief ” that Nicola Sturgeon had forgotten about a meeting where she learned allegations had been made about Salmond.
Davidson added that this row – coupled with the texts from Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell which show him calling for the police to be pressurised on the criminal side of the Salmond case – justify a judge-led probe.
A Holyrood committee is i nvest i gat i ng the SNP Government’s botched handling of misconduct claims against Salmond when he was first minister.
The initial Government probe, which was unlawful, destroyed the long-standing friendship between Salmond and Sturgeon.
The Holyrood committee inquiry is said to have been thwarted by the Government refusing to release information on the grounds of legal privilege.
Sturgeon has also been accused of “misleading” Parliament over her written statement to the committee.
She claimed to have forgotten about a meeting with Salmond’s former chief of staff Geoff Aberdein in 2018, where the topic of allegations against the former first minister came up.
At Holyrood, Davidson asked whether it was “credible” for Sturgeon to forget a meeting in which she learned about the allegations.
The First Minister replied: “I get why people will look at that and raise an eyebrow.”
However, Sturgeon added: “There is something seared on my memory, and it is actually the meeting that took place some three days later, when Alex Salmond sat in my own home and gave me the details of the complaints.”
Davidson replied: “I have read the First Minister’s submission. In it, her argument for forgetting that meeting is that she was having a busy day, that First Minister’s Questions had taken up her attention.
“I have looked back at that First Minister’s question time, when we ended up talking about the Arctic strategy, which is not something to cause anyone to forget sexual assault allegations. That does not even bear the lightest scrutiny – it is beyond belief.”
The Tory MSP added: “What lies at the heart of this matter is whether there was an abuse of power. Why did the First Minister mislead Parliament by omitting the fact that this meeting ever happened?”
Sturgeon replied: “Abuse of power? What happened was that the Scottish Government in the wake of the ‘Me Too’ revelations put a procedure in place to allow any complaints, regardless of who they are – seniority, political affiliation – to be investigated.
“I’m sorry but I think that was the right thing to do. I think that’s a good use of power.”
After raising SNP chief executive Murrell’s texts and the Aberdein meeting, as well as accusing the Government of “wilfully obstructing” the Holyrood committee, Davidson said a judicial inquiry is a “necessity”.
Sturgeon said: “I ’ve got nothing to hide in all of this.”
Murrell’s texts followed Salmond appearing in court in 2019 charged with sexual of fences. Salmond was acquitted earlier this year.