WE DID TALK ABOUT SEX CLAIMS
FM admits she discussed case with Salmond at her home – and on phone
NICOLA Sturgeon yesterday revealed she spoke to Alex Salmond five times regarding sexual misconduct claims levelled against him.
The First Minister had several discussions with her predecessor – twice at her home – during which he repeatedly raised concerns over the Scottish Government’s investigation.
Miss Sturgeon revealed details of her conversations with Mr Salmond in a statement at Holyrood hours after the Government conceded a legal battle to the former SNP leader.
That followed the Scottish Government’s admission it had acted unlawfully while investigating complaints made against Mr Salmond, in which two women accused him of acting inappropriately towards them.
Addressing MSPs in the chamber yesterday afternoon, Miss Sturgeon issued an apology to the complainants and said: ‘It is deeply regrettable, and perhaps that is an understatement, that as a result of a failure in the proper application of one part of the procedure, the Scottish Government has had to settle this matter.’
She went on to state her confidence in Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans and said she should not resign, despite Mr Salmond’s calls for the Scottish Government’s most senior civil servant to consider her position.
But it was Miss Sturgeon’s revelations of her meetings with Mr Salmond that caused the biggest stir in the chamber after she admitted to speaking to him five times regarding the harassment claims.
For the first time since the allegations were made public, the First Minister provided details of discussions between the pair – but said she never felt ‘under any pressure to intervene’.
Miss Sturgeon told MSPs she was first made aware of the allegations after Mr Salmond visited her at home.
She said: ‘I met with him [Mr Salmond] on three occasions. On April 2 last year at my home in Glasgow, on June 7 ahead of the SNP conference and at my home on July 14.’
Miss Sturgeon also revealed they had spoken twice on the telephone – in April and July – and that the call on July 18 was the last time they had spoken.
The First Minister said she was first made aware of the complaints against Mr Salmond when he visited her at home in April.
He set out ‘various concerns’ about the process and he brought up a number of times during their later discussions, Miss Sturgeon told MSPs.
She said: ‘The first meeting was him informing me of the complaints. After that, he was making me aware of the concerns that he had about the process and that he was proposing mediation and arbitration.
‘At no point, and this is the key principle for me, I had no role in this process. I did not intervene or seek to intervene.
‘Self-evidently I didn’t because what he was seeking did not happen and that is the important principle.
‘I was always clear that I had no role in the process and I did not seek to intervene in it at any stage – nor indeed did I feel under pressure to do so.’
Miss Sturgeon was asked to reveal further details of the meetings, which were not officially recorded – but refused to do so.
She said: ‘The contact I have had with Alex Salmond were not Government meetings. I have known, as a friend and colleague, Alex Salmond for 30 years.
‘He was – he’s not at this present time – but he was then a member of my party. People can make judgments on the decisions I took.’
She claimed she was ‘anxious to be as transparent as possible’ and pledged to reveal more information about the Government’s investigation when a police inquiry into the complaints is concluded.
Opponents said Miss Sturgeon must release more information on her talks with Mr Salmond.
Scottish Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw said: ‘The Scottish Government’s own procedures make clear that the First Minister should only have been involved after the investigation into Mr Salmond was complete.
‘But we now learn that while the investigation was ongoing, the First Minister had private meetthese ings with Mr Salmond at her home and two further phone calls with him. We know Mr Salmond raised his case with Miss Sturgeon at these meetings. How then can she claim not to have been involved?
‘This is a shambles and the First Minister’s answers will only serve to raise further questions about what exactly has been going on.’
Miss Sturgeon also pledged her support to Miss Evans last night and said it was ‘not my view’ she should resign. A spokesman said the First Minister has complete confidence in Miss Evans.
Miss Sturgeon also offered an apology to the two women who originally raised complaints against Mr Salmond and claimed she had offered support to them.
She said: ‘I deeply regret the position that two women have been placed in.’
She pledged that lessons would be learned from the case, but said the Government’s complaints procedure would remain in place – and it was a flaw in the use of the procedure rather than the procedure itself which had led to the issues.
‘I did not seek to intervene’ ‘People can make judgments’