Sturgeon: I went through ‘grieving process’ over Alex
Nicola laments falling out with mentor Salmond
NICOLA Sturgeon has opened up about the ‘grieving process’ she went through following the breakdown of her relationship with Alex Salmond.
The First Minister has described her ex-mentor as the ‘most significant adult’ in her life other than her husband and close family members.
She disclosed that she had experienced feelings ‘not a million miles from a grieving process’ when her close personal and professional relationship with Mr Salmond ended.
A rift opened between the two after allegations of sexual harassment were made against the former first minister.
He was cleared of 13 charges at the High Court in Edinburgh in March.
Miss Sturgeon will be forced to give evidence as part of a Holyrood inquiry into the Government’s handling of complaints made against Mr Salmond in 2018. She has claimed this will be a ‘relief’ and allow her to tell her side of the fallout. Evidence from those called by MSPs will be given under oath.
Speaking on Times Radio, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘It’s been personally difficult. I suppose I would just reference or say to people, imagine how it would feel... for any reason and whatever the circumstances, if somebody that has been one of the biggest presences in your life, outside my own family, my husband, probably the most significant adult in my life for all of my adult life, and just imagine that, and then imagine that they’re not there in that role any more. And it’s difficult.’
Asked if the breakdown in the relationship had been similar to grief, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘There is a sense of something that I suppose is not a million miles from a grieving process, but you know, we all go through difficult things and we have to cope with them.’
Miss Sturgeon is to be asked whether she was involved in the reporting of complaints against
Mr Salmond to the police. She has already been ordered to hand over documents, including WhatsApp messages and handwritten notes.
The First Minister is set to face questions on when she was made aware of complaints against her predecessor, what action she took and ‘actions you invited others to take’ after learning of the allegations.
Ahead of the inquiry, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘There will to some extent be a sense of relief at just being able to have my say and put my side of it across and then let people make up their own minds.’
Documents published by the Scottish Government this week show Miss Sturgeon signed off proposals to let historical complaints against former government ministers be included in harassment guidelines.
The guidance would later be used when complaints were made against Mr Salmond. His allies have claimed that the court case against him was the result of a politically motivated plot.
Miss Sturgeon has dismissed this as a ‘heap of nonsense’.
Yesterday, she said that there had been ‘things said about me that I will certainly want to give a different view of but I’ve not been able to do that and for obvious reasons.
Sturgeon at 50 – Pages 18-19
‘Significant adult for all of my adult life’