STURGEON DID MISLEAD HOLYROOD
FM under huge pressure to resign over bombshell Salmond Inquiry report Committee will rule she gave ‘inaccurate’ account of investigation
NICOLA Sturgeon faced calls to resign last night after she was found guilty of misleading Holyrood.
The First Minister was left clinging on to her job after the Salmond Inquiry found she had provided ‘inaccurate’ information to a parliamentary committee.
The report, to be published next week, will accuse Miss Sturgeon of a ‘potential breach’ of the ministerial code.
The findings pile pressure on the beleaguered SnP leader to quit just weeks before the election.
Last night, MSPs on the special cross-party committee examining the Scottish government’s botched handling of harassment complaints against alex Salmond voted down party lines, 5-4 in
favour of the outcome. The Nationalist MSPs on the inquiry were the only ones not to back the conclusion that Miss Sturgeon misled it.
The committee found that Miss Sturgeon gave ‘an inaccurate account’ of her meetings with Mr Salmond and therefore misled the cross-party probe.
Despite stopping short of saying she did so ‘knowingly’, the report in its current form does say that there is a potential breach of the ministerial code. A breach of the strict guidelines would usually lead to the resignation of the minister involved.
Last night, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said: ‘The committee will publish its findings in the coming days and we will wait for that report. However, we are really only waiting for confirmation of what we already know.
‘We cannot set a precedent that a First Minister of Scotland can mislead the Scottish parliament and get away with it.
‘We have to trust that the First Minister will be truthful. We no longer can.
‘It is the duty of Scotland’s opposition to hold the Government to account. That is what the Scottish Conservatives have done throughout this sorry affair, which has so badly let down the women who came forward and damaged the standing of Scotland’s institutions.
‘We have called out the First Minister based on the overwhelming evidence that she misled parliament. We will continue to hold her to the same standards as previous First Ministers of Scotland and demand that she resigns.’
The inquiry is investigating the SNP Government’s botched probe into harassment complaints against Mr Salmond. He had the outcome set aside following a judicial review which found the investigation had been unlawful and tainted by apparent bias.
Mr Salmond was handed more than £500,000 in taxpayers’ cash to cover his legal fees.
The inquiry has also looked at Miss Sturgeon’s conduct in relation to meetings she held with Mr Salmond and her involvement in affair. It is understood the decision last night relates to her account of the meeting on April 2, when she claims to have first been told of the complaints.
Mr Salmond and Miss Sturgeon gave differing versions of events in their evidence to the committee, which was under oath. She has repeatedly said she did not offer to intervene in the Government probe – despite Mr Salmond asking for her help with mediation.
Speaking at the committee, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘As First Minister, I refused to follow the age-old pattern of allowing a powerful man to use his status and connections to get what he wants. I feel very strongly that it would not have been right for me to intervene.’
However, written evidence submitted by others has suggested that she did offer to intervene.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said that if the committee’s report does conclude that Miss Sturgeon misled parliament it would be ‘incredibly serious’. He added: ‘This is about the integrity of our parliament and upholding standards in public life.’
The committee report will be published on Tuesday morning, with sources last night stressing that the final decision over wordthe ing has yet to be reached. Miss Sturgeon is also awaiting the final report of James Hamilton, QC, who is investigating, in a parallel inquiry, whether she broke the ministerial code.
She has been accused of breaching the strict code a number of times in relation to the Government’s probe into complaints against Mr Salmond.
This includes claims that she misled Holyrood over the date when she first learned about the allegations facing her predecessor and over the leaking of the name of one of the complainers. Miss Sturgeon has denied the claims.
Last night, a conclusion on part of the Holyrood inquiry’s report was leaked stating: ‘Her written evidence is...an inaccurate account of what happened and she has misled the committee on this matter.
‘This is a potential breach of the ministerial code.’
A spokesman for Miss Sturgeon said: ‘The First Minister told the truth to the committee in eight hours of evidence, and stands by that evidence.
‘It is clear from past public statements that opposition members of this committee had prejudged the First Minister at the outset and before hearing a word of her evidence, so this partisan and selective briefing – before the committee has actually published its final report – is hardly surprising.’
A Scottish parliament spokesman said: ‘The committee is still finalising its report. There will be no further comment on the report ahead of its publication.’
Speaking outside her home last night, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I stand
‘This is about integrity’ ‘The leak is not that surprising’
by all the evidence that I gave to the committee, all eight hours’ worth of evidence.
‘What’s been clear is that opposition members of this committee made their minds up about me before I uttered a single word of evidence, their public comments have made that clear. So this leak from the committee, a very partisan leak tonight, before they’ve actually finalised the report, is not that surprising.
‘Let’s wait and see that final report. But more importantly, the question of whether I breached the ministerial code is being considered independently by James Hamilton, QC, and I hope to receive that report soon.’