Salmond denounces Sturgeon: ‘Scotland’s leadership has failed’
Call for Westminster investigation into Scottish officials as former SNP leader accuses old allies of plotting against him
DOWNING STREET has been urged to intervene in the escalating Salmond-sturgeon feud as the former Scottish first minister accused his successor of leadership “failure”.
Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, told The Daily Telegraph that the Cabinet Office should investigate whether Scottish civil servants broke the code of conduct in their handling of complaints against Alex Salmond.
Mr Salmond yesterday used an extraordinary six-hour evidence session to lay out claims that there was a conspiracy against him involving his one-time political protégée, Nicola Sturgeon. She denies the allegation.
Appearing before a Scottish parliamentary committee, Mr Salmond took aim at the top of the Scottish political establishment, saying: “Scotland hasn’t failed, its leadership has failed.”
The open warfare between the two most prominent figures in the Scottish National Party risks undercutting support for independence just as the nationalists are seeking to ramp up calls for a second referendum.
With elections due in Holyrood in May, the issue of Scottish independence will dominate the UK political landscape in the months ahead.
On Wednesday, Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, will attempt to use his Budget to underline the economic benefits of the Union. He will announce a multi-billion pound spending spree in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to improve transport links and speed up regeneration. A senior Treasury source said: “You can definitely expect a positive Union narrative that runs throughout the Budget.”
Weeks of back-room briefings, legal challenges and speculation about appearances came to a head yesterday when Mr Salmond appeared in Holyrood to lay out his claims.
The former SNP leader, who last year was acquitted of all sexual assault charges, has accused Ms Sturgeon and others of working to further the allegations being made against him. The claims have raised questions about
‘The Scottish Civil Service has not failed, its leadership has. The Crown Office has not failed, its leadership has failed. Scotland hasn’t failed, its leadership has failed’
whether leading SNP government figures have leant on Scottish civil servants.
In an interview with this newspaper, Mr Ross called on Whitehall to look into the role that Leslie Evans, Scotland’s most senior civil servant, played in the controversy.
Ms Evans is under intense scrutiny over how harassment complaints against Mr Salmond were mishandled by the Scottish Government, which admitted it had acted unlawfully during its investigations and paid Mr Salmond’s legal fees of more than £500,000.
Ms Evans’s line manager is effectively Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary and head of the UK Civil Service, meaning he is able to look into her conduct.
Mr Ross said that once the Scottish parliamentary committee investigating the matter had completed its work, the UK Civil Service should also look into what happened. “It’s right that we wait for that committee to look at it. But ultimately, the overall management of the Civil Service in Scotland is part of the Uk-wide Civil Service,” Mr Ross said.
Mr Case is one of Boris Johnson’s closest advisers. No10 is watching the feud north of the Border carefully but has been reluctant to get involved. Downing Street spokesmen have dismissed attempts to draw them into the matter in press briefings this week.
Some government sources believe it is politically astute for Downing Street to stay out of the row, but several Tory MPS are arguing the UK Government cannot turn a blind eye.
During his evidence yesterday, Mr Salmond said there was “no doubt” that Ms Sturgeon had broken rules governing ministers’ conduct and he suggested her government was not fit to lead Scotland to independence.
The former first minister alleged a “malicious scheme” among senior SNP figures close to his successor to damage his reputation and called for the resignation of Ms Evans as permanent secretary to the Scottish Government.
“The failures of leadership are many and obvious but not a single person has taken responsibility, not a single resignation or sacking, not even admonition,” he said. “The Scottish Civil Service has not failed, its leadership has. The Crown Office has not failed, its leadership has failed. Scotland hasn’t failed, its leadership has failed.”
Mr Salmond said he did not have evidence Ms Sturgeon herself was part of the alleged plot, but he had evidence “way beyond” the documents he presented to the inquiry that it existed.
During the evidence session, he accused the Crown Office of abusing legislation his administration introduced
to “obstruct” him from providing all the documents he wanted to.
He also claimed Ms Sturgeon committed multiple breaches of the ministerial code, which is usually a resigning matter, by misleading the Scottish Parliament over when she found out about the allegations and failing to correct the record. Mr Salmond contradicted Ms Sturgeon’s account by stating that a senior Scottish Government official gave the name of one of the women who lodged complaints about him to his former chief of staff, and said three people could corroborate this. He used his closing remarks to suggest the committee conducting the inquiry could get round the Scottish Government roadblock by using its legal powers to order his solicitors to provide all the information they have. He pledged the information would be handed over in time for the appearances before the inquiry next week of Ms Sturgeon and James Wolffe, the Lord Advocate.
Meanwhile, the Budget speech on Wednesday is likely to see repeated nods to how the Treasury’s financial support benefits the whole of the UK.
Previewing Mr Sunak’s pro-union message, Steve Barclay, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, outlined to The Daily Telegraph the argument that would be made. “While the SNP are obsessed with infighting and independence, this Government has been getting on with responding to the crisis and protecting the jobs and livelihoods of the Scottish people,” Mr Barclay said.
Mr Sunak will announce £4.8billion of new investment in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland via an extension in the Levelling Up Fund.
A spokesman for the First Minister said: “Today was Alex Salmond’s chance to provide proof of the conspiracy which has been alleged – and he did not do so. Instead, under oath, he explicitly conceded there was no such evidence against the First Minister, and also gave testimony which directly undermined some of the central planks of the conspiracy theories.
“The First Minister now looks forward to addressing all of the issues Mr Salmond raised – and much more besides – when she finally gets the opportunity to address the committee next week.”