SNP CIVIL WAR
»»Salmond’s crowdfunding campaign nears £90k and sparks big split in party »»FM voices concerns but her own treasurer breaks ranks to donate
by DAVID CLEGG THE SNP were last night bitterly split over Alex Salmond’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations made against him. The row blew up after the former first minister launched a fundraising campaign to pay for his court case against the Scottish Government. The crowdfunding bid was nearing £90,000 last night. But while Nicola Sturgeon told of her concerns, SNP treasurer Colin Beattie donated to the campaign. It came as ex-Holyrood permanent secretary Sir John Elvidge told us he “can’t rule out” that informal complaints were made about Salmond during his tenure.
All parties concerned have to be treated fairly NICOLA STURGEON YESTERDAY
ALEX Salmond’s aggressive response to sexual misconduct allegations yesterday sparked a damaging split within the SNP.
The former first minister’s controversial decision to launch a fundraising campaign for his legal challenge laid bare internal divisions in the nationalist movement.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon voiced concerns about the message Salmond’s successful crowdfunding campaign would send to victims of harassment.
But her words were undermined when her party treasurer donated money to it.
SNP MSP Colin Beattie contributed £20 to the online drive yesterday helping push it beyond the £50,000 Salmond aimed for.
The Record contacted Midlothian North and Musselburgh MSP Beattie about his apparent donation at 4pm yesterday. The donation on the webpage was removed at around the same time.
We later called at his home in Dalkeith, Midlothian, but were told he was not in and “had been in meetings all day”.
Meanwhile, the First Minister insisted it was vital “we don’t make it harder” for women to come forward with complaints by suggesting they won’t be believed.
The damaging split in the SNP emerged on another dramatic day as:
●Sturgeon urged supporters to donate cash to charities supporting abused women.
●SNP supporters brought Salmond’s fundraiser to £87,000 at the time of going to press.
●The SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, gave his full support to Sturgeon with veiled criticism of Salmond.
●Labour said Beattie’s decision to publicly support the legal challenge was dragging politics into the gutter.
The developments came after the Record last week revealed two women had made allegations of sexual misconduct by Salmond during his time as First Minister.
Since then, Salmond has denied any claim of wrongdoing, launched a legal case against the Scottish Government and dramatically quit the SNP.
He also asked his supporters to help pay for his legal costs.
Yesterday, Surgeon said “all parties concerned” have to be treated fairly. She said the complaints can’t be “swept aside” and added: “Whatever any of us do and say in the context of this very highprofile case,
we must absolutely make sure we don’t make it harder for or discourage women from coming forward in the future.”
At the time Salmond was asking for money to challenge Sturgeon’s Government in court, she encouraged people to donate to Scottish Women’s Aid. The charity are mounting a legal challenge against the Tory rape clause.
Meanwhile, Blackford said the backlash sparked by horrifying claims of sexual abuse in Hollywood must also reach Holyrood.
He said: “I think what has to be paramount in this are the interests of those who have come
forward. We need to make sure that people can come forward, fulsome in the knowledge that they will have anonymity, that they will be listened to, and that action that needs to be taken will be taken.”
Asked what he thought of colleagues giving cash to wealthy Salmond, he said: “It’s up to individuals on a private basis what actions they’ve taken in relation to the crowdfunding.
“This is a party, a movement, that is pretty united.”
The two complaints against Salmond were raised in January and he was told about them in March. Police Scotland confirmed on Friday that the complaints have been passed to the force and they are being “assessed”.
Salmond is taking action against the Scottish Government, with papers lodged at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Tuesday.
He denied the allegations as he announced his resignation, saying: “I absolutely reject any suggestion of criminality.”
Aberdeenshire SNP councillor Alastair Forsyth donated £20 to Salmond’s crowdfund.
He said: “I believe everyone should have the opportunity for due process through the courts.
“People are innocent till proved guilty.” Scottish Labour said: “Alex Salmond is dragging Scottish politics into the gutter, with the support of SNP politicians.”
Labour business manager Rhoda Grant said the SNP was facing clear divisions over the Salmond saga.
She added that the test for the party was to ensure internal politics did not overshadow the rights and protections of the women who have come forward.
The Scottish Tories said: “Scotland now faces the incredible and unprecedented situation of its most famous former first minister appealing to SNP supporters for cash to take legal action against the Government he used to run.”
Civil servant who held top job in 2007 says former first minister’s ‘forceful’ personality may have made some people ‘uncomfortable’
SCOTLAND’S former top civil servant last night said he “can’t rule out” that informal complaints were made about harassment by Alex Salmond during his tenure.
Sir John Elvidge was permanent secretary to the Scottish Government between 2003 and 2010 and held the post when Salmond became first minister in May 2007.
Speaking to the Record, Sir John said no formal complaints from Government staff about alleged sexual misconduct by the leader were handled during his time in office.
But he admitted complaints about Salmond’s general conduct could have been raised informally and never progressed through official channels.
Asked if he knew of concerns regarding “inappropriate behaviour” towards women by Salmond, Sir John said: “That just feels too difficult a question to answer.
“We’re talking about such a spectrum of the kind of things that people say. To describe them as concerns or complaints gives them – in this context – a status which I’m not sure would be fair to him.”
Sir John – now chairman of Edinburgh airport – said Salmond had a “strong personality”.
He said some staff had expressed unhappiness about how they had been treated by him.
Asked if the former first minister’s behaviour constituted “bullying”, he replied: “He was forceful, but he was far from alone in that.”
Last week, we revealed allegations about Salmond’s sexual conduct towards two staff members in 2013 while he was in office.
On Saturday, we reported that a woman told Scottish Government investigators that it took repeated requests to stop an alcohol-fuelled Salmond’s advances in his
bedroom in his official residence at Bute House in Edinburgh.
The then SNP leader was alleged to have told the woman to get in the bed before lying on top of her, kissing her and touching her sexually on her breasts and bottom through her clothes.
He is said to only have stopped when asked repeatedly to do so.
Salmond, who served as first minister until 2014, denies the allegations.
We spoke to Sir John about any complaints made about Salmond. He said: “I can certainly confirm there were no formal complaints during my time.”
Sir John said he would have learned of a formal complaint, but “if things weren’t formal, then the odds are slightly against knowledge reaching me”.
He said a staff member would have been interviewed under a formal complaint process to establish what may have happened.
Asked if any informal complaints about harassment were made about Salmond, he replied: “In any large organisation, people are going to say they might not be happy about this or that.
“As part and parcel of discussing things, it’s theoretically possible that someone could say something of behaviours of this kind, and say that they didn’t want it treated formally.”
With regards to complaints about Salmond, he said: “I can’t rule it out.”
But the politician’s personality had upset some staff members.
He added: “Mr Salmond is a strong personality. People have differing reactions to working with him.
“There’s quite a lot of things about people’s degree of comfort or degree of discomfort about working with him that wouldn’t have surprised me, because I expect different people to be more or less comfortable with working with any politician of strong character.”
Sir John acknowledged he was aware of civil servants having issues with how Salmond treated them. He said: “Nobody likes being told off when they’re working, do they? You wouldn’t single him out in that respect.” We asked him if staff had ever been given advice to avoid being alone with Salmond. He said: “I’m certain there was no guidance of that kind issued to staff.” Sir John, a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, was succeeded as permanent secretary by Sir Peter Housden, who was succeeded by Leslie Evans. The Record has seen the wording of a detailed complaint by one of the two Scottish Government staff members who lodged complaints against Salmond. She alleges multiple incidences of harassment and conduct of an unwanted sexual nature during his time in office. The “bedroom” complaint details a catalogue of accusations which are said to have taken place late one night in the first week of December 2013 at Bute House. The complainer alleges she was alone with Salmond following an official engagement at which he had been drinking alcohol.
Salmond is accused of instructing her to move from a public room to his bedroom. He is then said to have repeatedly offered her alcohol before fondling her on a bed.
Evans received the two complaints in January in relation to Salmond, who was notified in March. Police Scotland confirmed on Friday that the complaints have been passed to them.
Salmond is taking court action against the Scottish Government to contest the complaints process activated against him.
He has written to Evans, calling for an inquiry into how sexual harassment allegations against him were made public.
Salmond said someone within the Scottish Government had breached the confidential complaints process by leaking details to the Record.