Pressure mounts on Sturgeon
»»First Minister offered to assist Salmond in sexual misconduct probe claims his lawyer »»She faces grilling in Holyrood today over timing of meetings between her and former mentor
SNP LEADER SET TO GIVE EVIDENCE TO INQUIRY
NICOLA Sturgeon offered to “intervene” in the Scottish Government’s sexual misconduct probe into Alex Salmond, it was claimed last night.
The First Minister is under huge pressure ahead of a Holyrood inquiry today, after the allegations emerged from Salmond’s lawyer, Duncan Hamilton.
She faces the threat of a vote of no confidence in the Scottish Parliament.
Central to today’s hearing on her government’s mishandling of the Salmond probe are the meetings between the ex-first minister and Sturgeon during the live investigation in 2018.
The meetings have raised questions about when exactly the First Minister learned of the investigation into her mentor.
She initially told Parliament Salmond informed her on April 2, 2018, but she later claimed to have forgotten about a meeting days earlier with his former chief of staff.
Salmond has accused her of breaching the ministerial code of conduct and misleading Parliament over aspects of the meetings.
In an extraordinary development last night, Hamilton heaped pressure on the First Minister over the April 2 meeting.
Sturgeon previously said of the probe: “I did not seek to intervene in it at any stage.”
But Hamilton, who was present as Salmond’s legal adviser at the meeting, insisted an offer had been made.
In a letter to the inquiry, Hamilton wrote: “I can confirm that the First Minister did offer to assist. We discussed mediation. My clear recollection is that her words were, ‘If it comes to it, I will intervene’.
“From a legal perspective, that was the most important aspect of the meeting. I therefore remember it clearly.
“I discussed the commitment to intervene with Mr Salmond and (Salmond’s former chief of staff) Mr (Geoff) Aberdein after we left the meeting specifically because it seemed very likely that mediation would be achieved. From Mr Salmond’s perspective, that was the desired outcome.
“The First Minister did later change her mind. She was entitled to do so.
“That change was, however, a matter of surprise. From a legal perspective, that change in position removed one of the possible alternatives to court proceedings.”
The Holyrood committee is investigating the SNP Government’s spectacular mishandling of sexual misconduct complaints against Salmond. He pursued a judicial review and the Government accepted the internal probe had been unlawful and tainted by apparent bias.
The fiasco cost the public purse more than £600,000, destroyed the relationship between Salmond and Sturgeon and ignited a bitter civil war in the SNP.
Salmond was separately acquitted of sexual offences after a trial last year.
He has alleged Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell and chief of staff Liz Lloyd plotted against him and tried to have him jailed.
This is the extraordinary backdrop to Sturgeon’s appearance at the Inquiry today, likely to be one of the most dramatic events in the history of devolution.
The Scottish Tories have promised to submit a motion of no confidence in her.
Their leader Douglas Ross MP said: “The weight of the evidence is overwhelming. Nicola Sturgeon must resign. “We will be submitting a vote of no confidence in the First Minister.”
Labour MSP Jackie Baillie, who sits on the committee, said: “The comments from counsel make it explicitly clear that the conduct of the investigation and the actions of those involved greatly jeopardised the proceedings.
“That Counsel were expressing grave concerns in October and that the Lord Advocate wished to continue with proceedings as late as December 2018 simply beggars belief.
“The Scottish Government’s unlawful handling of harassment complaints appears to be indefensible, and I look forward to having the opportunity to question the First Minister on the failings of her government.”
It emerged yesterday that a QC warned the Government about its flawed probe into Salmond two months before the case was conceded.
Roddy Dunlop said the prior contact between the Government’s Investigating Officer (IO) and female complainants was “extremely concerning”.
Ministers initially refused to hand over their legal advice, but Deputy First Minister John Swinney U-turned after the threat of a no confidence motion.
The published material contained an “urgent” note from Dunlop, who was the Government’s senior counsel, in October 2018.
He wrote that the IO, Judith Mackinnon, should have had no prior involvement in “any aspect” of the matter.
He wrote: “It would be wrong for me to suggest that this revelation is anything other than an extremely concerning one.”
On December 6, 2018, counsel argued that the “least worst” option would be to concede. However, days later an email
The change in perspective removed one of the possible alternatives to court proceedings DUNCAN HAMILTON CLAIMS FIRST MINISTER U-TURNED ON MEDIATION
was sent which suggested the Lord Advocate did not want to concede.
Weeks later, counsel expressed alarm at the full extent of the prior involvement: “With regret, our dismay at this case deepens yet further.” The Government then conceded.
On the legal advice, Swinney – himself still facing a vote of no confidence over the issue – said: “Our legal advice was optimistic about the Government’s prospects for success at the start.
“It became gradually but progressively less optimistic over time.”
A spokesman for Sturgeon said: “The
First Minister will address all of the issues raised – and much more besides – at the committee, while the independent adviser on the ministerial code will report in due course.
“But to call a vote of no confidence in the middle of a pandemic, before hearing a single word of the First Minister’s evidence, is utterly irresponsible.
“It is for the public to decide who they want to govern Scotland and – while we continue to fight the Covid pandemic – with the election campaign starting in just 20 days, that is precisely what they will be able to do.”
EVERY pupil in Scotland will return to the classroom before Easter.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement yesterday and hinted that other lockdown easing could be accelerated.
All primary pupils will go back to school on March 15 and, from that date, secondary pupils will also begin to return, but for them there will be a period of blended learning before going full-time after the Easter holidays.
Last night, a teachers union criticised the return as coming too early, saying they were “astounded”.
Speaking in parliament yesterday, Sturgeon also announced Scottish football’s Leagues One and Two would be permitted to resume competitive matches, along with the Women’s Premier League. Some Highland League c l u b s will also
be allowed to resume playing in Scottish Cup matches.
The First Minister announced the next phase of school return after delivering news on the numbers becoming infected with the virus.
Overnight, there were 542 new cases, 4.4 per cent of those tested, and there are 784 people in hospital – a decrease of 40 from the day before. There are 71 people in ICU. An additional 33 deaths were registered in the past 24 hours.
Sturgeon said: “There is good and increasing evidence that vaccination is already reducing the number of deaths, particularly in care homes.
“In time, as a growing proportion of the population gains protection through vaccination, it should also have an impact on hospitalisations and transmission rates.”
She pointed out that while the average number of new cases had fallen, the figure was still 13 times higher than it was in August.
But the improvements had let the Cabinet take the decision to allow the second phase of school return to begin.
Sturgeon added: “Next week, I hope to confirm to Parliament the other changes to the Level 4 restrictions which will take place from March 15 and then the week after that I am scheduled to set out a firmer timetable for the period after April 26.
“As I said at the outset, we will consider between now and then if the data allows us, to bring forward any relaxation of the rules.
“I have always said if we can go further and faster, then we will not hesitate to do so.”
Early learning pupils as well as those in primaries one to three and some senior secondary pupils doing practical work have already returned to the classroom.
Yesterday, Sturgeon confirmed: “The next phase of re-opening will take place on March 15 and from that date, unless new evidence or new circumstances force us to reconsider, all children in primary four to seven will go back to school on a full-time basis.
“We will also take the next steps
in a phased return to secondary schools from March 15 with a clear expectation that all secondary school pupils will be back in school on a full-time basis after the Easter holidays.
“However, it is the intention that all secondary school pupils will return to spend some time in school from March 15 until the Easter break.
“Students in the senior phase of secondary school, years four to six, who are taking national qualifications will have priority for face-to-face lessons in school. This will ensure they can have their hard work fairly recognised with qualifications under the new certification model.
“However, though years four to six may have priority, we expect that all children in secondary school will receive some in-school education each week up until the Easter break and then return full time following that.”
Until Easter, there will be a blended learning model for secondary pupils.
Sturgeon said secondary schools
A 10-YEAR-OLD boy fled hotel quarantine with his dad on the stroke of midnight last night after a mix-up saw them detained for an extra day.
Sami Caraballo had flown alone from Finland to be reunited with his dad after several months apart only to be escorted to an Edinburgh airport hotel on landing under Scotland’s strict new Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Dad Antonio, 44, who believed his son would be allowed to isolate at home due to his age, was forced to stump up more than £2000 to join him in quarantine for the majority of his two-week trip, organised to give him quality time with his family and his three-year-old sister after his Christmas visit was cancelled.
The dad and son were dealt another blow when they tried to check out yesterday morning – learning they still had another 24 hours left in isolation.
Antonio said: “We understood check out was going to be Tuesday and we could go any time after midnight on day 11, but check-in is classed as day zero so it’s actually day 12.
“Someone came on Monday morning and asked me to show on my mobile phone that the test was negative and we had a discussion about my departure. My wife then came and collected all of our luggage to make it easier for us to make our way home, so we had nothing left here.
“At around 9pm I called reception to needed to maintain a two-metre distance until the Easter holidays and face coverings must be worn at all times.
Last night, the general secretary of the country’s biggest teaching union, the EIS, condemned the decision to confirm a date for full school return.
Larry Flanagan said: “How can she indicate at this stage when there will be a full pupil return? She said we would be driven by data and not dates and now we have a date already.
“The current advice from scientists book a taxi for midnight and they explained to me I could not be released. Sami was quite upset. He was ready to go and was looking forward to seeing his sister and all the things I’d promised him when he gets home.”
Antonio, a key worker for an oil and gas firm, said Sami only had 15 minutes of fresh air each day during an escorted tour of the hotel’s car park and wouldn’t eat his meals.
Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South, said: “The Scottish Government introduced their hastily arranged quarantine policy a year too late. That left a 10-year-old boy locked in a hotel room. It is incumbent on Scottish Ministers to realise the impact this has on a child and his family but they have chosen not to bother responding to repeated requests to look at their case.”
Antonio plans to spent the few days he has at home with his son celebrating the Christmas they missed out on.
He said: “We ordered turkey and he has his presents waiting.
“The whole process has been an absolute disgrace. We shouldn’t be put in a situation where we’re looking for loopholes in the law to offer a child his family life. You do the right thing and you’re punished for it.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The clinical advice is clear that a comprehensive system of managed quarantine is essential to minimise the impact of new Covid-19 variants. This means children must enter managed isolation regardless of whether they are accompanied or unaccompanied.”
I called to book a taxi and they said to me I could not be released ANTONIO CARABALLO ON ISOLATION MIX-UP
is distancing between senior pupils is required but today we hear it is only required up to the Easter holidays. It is not what the data is saying. Scientists say teenagers can transmit the virus the same as adults.
“I find the announcement astounding. I think the government is looking at the data through political optics because it is far too early the first week in March to say what’s going to happen mid-April. We are only just beginning to get the virus under control.”