Evidence ‘poses questions for Nicola Sturgeon’

ALEX SALMOND’S evidence to a Holyrood committee “poses serious questions for Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government”, Jackie Baillie has said.

The Scottish Labour MSP, and interim party leader until Saturday, is a member of the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints which questioned the former first minister for nearly six hours yesterday.

After the committee, Ms Baillie said: “The former First Minister’s testimony to the committee, including his assertion that the First Minister broke the Ministerial Code, poses serious questions for Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government.

“Mr Salmond’s allegation that the name of a complainant was made known to his former chief of staff prior to a meeting between him and the First Minister is nothing short of explosive.”

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “Devastating evidence has revealed SNP cover-ups, costly mistakes and terrible errors of judgment.

“The number of accusations of misleading Parliament and breaking the Ministerial Code are extraordinary.”

But a spokesman for the First Minister said: “The people of Scotland have shown, in poll after poll and election after election, that they back the leadership of the SNP and of Nicola Sturgeon.

“Today was Alex Salmond’s chance to provide proof of the conspiracy which has been alleged – and he did not do so.

“Instead, under oath, he explicitly conceded there was no such evidence against the First Minister, and also gave testimony which directly undermined some of the central planks of the conspiracy theories. The First Minister now looks forward to addressing all of the issues Mr Salmond raised.”