‘Publish findings into Sturgeon before poll’

THE SCOTTISH Tories have said the findings of a probe into allegations that Nicola Sturgeon broke the ministerial code should be published before Scots go to the polls.

James Hamilton, the former head of public prosecutions in Ireland, was tasked with investigating if the First Minister, inset, had breached the ministerial code in relation to the botched handling of harassment complaints against her predecessor. If the Hamilton inquiry returns a result that Nicola Sturgeon did mislead parliament, opposition parties have said she should step down.

As the campaign period for May’s Holyrood election nears, Scottish Tory chief whip Miles Briggs has written to the head of the civil service to urge the publication of the report before the beginning of campaigning, or at least for a time scale to be set out. Under election rules, the Scottish Government must announce, before parliament ends, the dates for material to be published during the campaign.

In a letter to Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans, Mr Briggs said: “I am deeply concerned that a failure to publish in advance of the election purdah, or to name a date in advance for publication during the election campaign, would mean that the report’s publication during the election campaign would breach the purdah guidance.” Another investigation into the complaints procedure over the Salmond inquiry has also concluded.