STURGEON ‘WAS HIDING TRUTH’
First Minister accused over Salmond and virus claims in TV grilling
NICOLA Sturgeon has been accused of hiding the truth from the people of Scotland during a ‘car crash’ live televised interview.
In a bruising appearance on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, the SNP leader faced scrutiny on Scotland’s coronavirus death toll and was accused of not being fully truthful about when she became aware of concern over Alex Salmond’s behaviour.
She was also pressed on her claims that she was tackling the attainment gap in education.
In one of her most difficult interviews by London-based media, Miss Sturgeon was challenged about claims Scotland has lower prevalence of coronavirus than other parts of the UK. Mr Marr said Scotland had the world’s third-worst record for deaths in the first wave of the virus and highlighted figures over four weeks which showed a higher death rate per million people in Scotland than in England.
The First Minister was also challenged about figures showing 47 per cent of Covid deaths in Scotland were in care homes, compared with 30 per cent in England. Miss Sturgeon said ‘excess deaths’, which include deaths from any cause, have been lower north of the Border.
Mr Marr told her: ‘It seems to me that there is a gap between presentation, very, very good presentation, and the reality when it comes to coronavirus data, when it comes to education, when it comes to the Alex Salmond issue.
‘There is a gap between how you present yourself, very, very effectively, and what’s really been going on in Scotland.’
Miss Sturgeon was played a clip of a previous interview on the same show in 2018 when she was asked whether she had heard stories about Mr Salmond before the allegations first surfaced in the press.
She said at the time: ‘ Of this nature, absolutely not. Well, as I’ve said previously, Alex Salmond informed me about these complaints in April – that was the first I had known.’
She has subsequently told the Holyrood inquiry into how complaints were handled that she met Mr Salmond’s former chief of staff, Geoff Aberdein, on March 29, 2018, where a meeting was planned to discuss an issue which ‘ might relate to allegations of a sexual nature’.
She also said i n her written evidence to the inquiry that she was aware in November 2017 about an alleged incident at Edinburgh Airport.
Mr Marr said yesterday: ‘There is a big gap between what you said to the inquiry and what you said to my viewers.’
Miss Sturgeon accused the presenter of ‘conflating two issues’, saying: ‘When I spoke to you then I was speaking about the issues that had been raised under the Scottish Government processes. I’ve set out written evidence on that and I will give oral evidence to the inquiry.’
Mr Marr said: ‘I asked you just what you knew about Alex Salmond at that time, I didn’t narrow it down at that point.’
Miss Sturgeon said the people of Scotland would judge her performance. She added: ‘We’ve got things wrong in coronavirus, but I don’t shy away from that and I’m being pretty clear with the Scottish people about the challenges we face.’
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said last night: ‘The First Minister has clearly lied about when she knew of allegations of sexual misconduct against Alex Salmond.
‘Nicola Sturgeon’s weak political spin that Andrew Marr was conflating two issues doesn’t wash.’
He added: ‘The SNP won’t release the legal advice and key documents to the i nquiry because they’re covering something up.
They are trying to avoid scrutiny at all costs because they clearly have something to hide. This car crash interview makes that even more clear.’
Ian Murray MP, Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary, said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon must be held to account for her failings in office. Amid a child poverty crisis, care homes scandal and utter contempt for Holyrood, the First Minister’s record is one of broken promises.’
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: ‘A UK TV audience got to see what we have known for a long time. Nicola Sturgeon is good at presentation but has repeatedly fallen short on delivery.’
During her interview, on the second day of the SNP’s annual conference, Miss Sturgeon also refused to say if she would welcome Mr Salmond back into the SNP.
‘Trying to avoid scrutiny’