New Labour leader calls for First Minister’s resignation

The newly elected leader of Scottish Labour has called on Nicola Sturgeon to resign as “a point of principle” if it emerges she has breached the ministerial code over when she knew about harassment allegations against Alex Salmond.

Anas Sarwar said it was important to take “political parties” and “personalities” out of the equation and focus on the code of conduct governing the First Minister and members of her cabinet.

In an interview with Sky News, Mr Sarwar said that if a minister from another party had been found to have broken the ministerial code, Ms

Sturgeon would call on them to resign.

“I think Nicola Sturgeon herself would say if an opposition politician was in government, and they had breached the ministerial code, then they would be expected to resign,” he said.

“Let’s take the party politics and the personalities out of it, it’s a point of principle and respecting the office of first minister.”

Ms Sturgeon said she first learned of the complaints against Mr Salmond in a meeting with him at her home in early April 2018, but it later emerged she had been told by his former chief of staff in her Holyrood office a few days prior, a fact she claims to have forgotten.

She referred herself for investigation by James Hamilton QC, an independent adviser on the ministerial code.

Mr Sarwar also said the controversy surrounding the Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Government’s handling of the complaints against Mr Salmond demonstrated the need for reform.