SNP deputy to release Salmond legal advice

Nicola Sturgeon’s deputy will today finally hand over the SNP government’s “key” secret legal advice for Alex Salmond’s judicial review after he faced being forced to resign if he refused. John Swinney caved in to opposition demands for the advice to be published after a majority of MSPS swung behind a Tory motion of no confidence in him. In a humiliating about-turn, he said he would release the advice “to counter the false claims being made by some”.

NICOLA STURGEON’S deputy will today finally hand over the SNP government’s “key” secret legal advice for Alex Salmond’s judicial review after he faced being forced to resign if he refused.

John Swinney caved in to opposition demands for the advice to be published after a majority of MSPS swung behind a Tory motion of no confidence in him, which could have been voted on this afternoon. In an about-turn, he said he would release the advice “to counter the false claims being made by some”. He said it would be provided after legal notifications were issued to “individuals impacted”.

Scotland’s deputy first minister was in danger of losing his job after Ms Sturgeon – who appears tomorrow before the Holyrood inquiry investigating the scandal – recused herself from the legal advice decision. She did not appear yesterday at the Scottish government’s Covid briefing for the first time this year amid claims she was closeted away with her legal team.

Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, welcomed Mr Swinney’s aboutturn after the deputy first minister ignored two previous votes by MSPS for the advice to be given to the inquiry, but warned “he must go further and fully publish the legal advice or we will not hesitate to force him out”. The Scottish government announcement referred only to “key” advice.

Mr Salmond has alleged the advice proves SNP ministers continued to fight the judicial review case despite being warned they were likely to lose at huge cost to the public purse. This is a potential breach of the ministerial code, also a resignation matter. Last Friday, he told the inquiry examining the debacle that ministers only conceded the case after the external counsel they appointed threatened to quit.

Mr Salmond won the judicial review in 2019 when Scotland’s highest civil court found that the way the Scottish government investigated sexual misconduct allegations against him was unlawful. The SNP administration he once led paid him £512,250 of taxpayers’ money to cover his legal costs.

The case was abandoned on the eve of a Court of Session hearing after the government admitted it had breached its own guidelines by appointing an investigating officer who had “prior involvement” with two civil servants who had made complaints. The inquiry into the debacle began after Mr Salmond was acquitted of sexual assault charges at the High Court last year.