Salmond and Sturgeon won’t appear till January

NICOLA Sturgeon and Alex Salmond will not appear at a Holyrood inquiry until next year following delays sparked by the Scottish Government’s refusal to hand over key evidence.

The committee examining the Government’s botched probe into complaints against Mr Salmond has been forced to suspend public meetings until after Christmas. MSPs had planned to complete inquiries this month but have repeatedly been forced to sit in private due to a secrecy row with SNP ministers.

It is understood the committee will hold the final two sessions in private before recommencing public evidence gathering in January.

According to sources, Mr Salmond is now set to appear on January 19,

and Miss Sturgeon the following week. MSPs also hope SNP chief executive Peter Murrell will be called back, possibly before Christmas.

Other witnesses including the Lord Advocate James Wolffe and Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans will be called in 2021.

This follows a row between the committee and the Government over the publication of legal advice obtained by ministers ahead of a courtroom battle with Mr Salmond. The committee is investigating the Government’s bungled probe into two harassment complaints made against Mr Salmond in early 2018.

The outcome of this was set aside after the ex-SNP leader challenged the procedure through judicial review, which found it had been unlawful and ‘tainted by apparent bias’.

Mr Salmond was awarded more than £512,000 in legal costs.