SNP split over Salmond misconduct claims

Party’s Westminster leader backs First Minister over scandal as other MPS fund former leader’s legal battle

THE SNP was split yesterday over the Alex Salmond sexual misconduct allegations as the party’s Westminster leader backed Nicola Sturgeon while other MPS helped fund a legal challenge to the Scottish government.

Ian Blackford paid tribute to Ms Sturgeon’s handling of events surrounding the scandal and described the Scottish Government’s investigation into the accusations as “absolutely fit for purpose”.

But several Westminster colleagues threw their support behind a crowdfunding campaign that Mr Salmond has launched to cover the costs of his judicial review court action against the SNP government’s investigation.

Pressed on whether he supported SNP members contributing toward the fund, Mr Blackford said it was a matter for them, but he offered his “full support” for the Scottish Government and Ms Sturgeon.

In a further sign of the civil war enveloping the party, Ms Sturgeon and Mr Blackford warned that the campaign risked discouraging women from coming forward with sexual abuse allegations.

The First Minister further called for donations to Women’s Aid, which helps the victims of abuse.

The move came after several female Labour politicians questioned why a “rich and powerful man” like Mr Salmond needed crowdfunding and urged people to instead give money to the charity. Mr Salmond issued the funding plea as he resigned from the SNP on Wednesday evening facing accusations of sexual misconduct levelled against him by two women, dating from Mr Salmond’s time as first minister.

By 5pm yesterday he had raised more than £87,000, far exceeding his £50,000 target, with the appeal being inundated with messages of support from his fellow nationalists.

One donated cash with the message “for justice and for Scotland”. Another tagged his donation with “#forfairness and not #trialbymedia”. Several others predicted that Mr Salmond would still ultimately lead Scotland to independence from the United Kingdom.

Some continued to propagate a conspiracy theory that the British state was trying to frame Mr Salmond, despite the complaints being referred to police by Leslie Evans, the permanent secretary of the Scottish government.

Mr Salmond is seeking judicial review of a new Scottish Government complaints procedure which was introduced last December and approved by Ms Sturgeon.

The complaints were made against Mr Salmond just a month later.

Pressed on whether he backed the Scottish Government’s actions, Mr Blackford said: “I know through the conversations I have had with the First Minister that this was taken with the utmost seriousness in Holyrood. I am sure that the processes put in place are absolutely fit for purpose.”

‘I am sure that the processes which have been put in place are absolutely fit for purpose’