Alex Salmond affair leads to new system for complaints

NICOLA Sturgeon has announced a shake-up of how complaints against former and serving ministers are handled to avoid a repeat of the Alex Salmond fiasco.

The First Minister said an “external, independent procedure” would in future deal with bullying and harassment complaints, rather than one run by the Scottish Government’s own officials.

A “propriety and ethics team” would also be established to ensure the highest standards on integrity across the civil service in Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon said complainers would be at the heart of the new system, and firm plans would be published later this year.

Scottish Labour welcomed the move, but said the Government’s top official, the Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans, should play no part in shaping the new system after bungling the last one.

Ms Sturgeon’s announcement was part of the Government’s combined response to three recent reports on the Salmond affair – the Holyrood inquiry into the episode, a report on whether Ms Sturgeon broke the ministerial code, and an analysis by Laura Dunlop QC.

In the latter, Ms Dunlop said it was “essential” complaints were

taken away from civil servants and handled independently.

She said the current system was “self-evidently problematic” and it was “particularly challenging” to demonstrate neutrality when officials were overseeing probes into their political masters, with an “obvious” risk of perceived bias.

Ms Dunlop was asked by SNP ministers to review and strengthen a new procedure drawn up in the wake of the 2017 #Metoo protests.

It was used against Mr Salmond in 2018, after two civil servants filed sexual harassment complaints related to his time as first minister.

He successfully challenged the procedure in court, showing it was unfair, unlawful and “tainted by apparent bias”, leading to a taxpayer bill for £512,000 for his costs.

A Holyrood inquiry later found a series of blunders under Ms Evans.

Ms Sturgeon said: “At the heart of the three reports are the complaints from two women who spoke of unacceptable behaviour in the course of performing their duties.

“Our goal is to embed a culture where bullying and harassment is not tolerated and there is trust in how matters will be handled.

“This work is informed by engagement with our recognised trade unions and by staff, including those with lived experiences of bullying and harassment.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie, who sat on the Holyrood inquiry, said it was clear the Government’s process had been “simply not fit for purpose”. She said: “It is right the Government learns from its mistakes and an external procedure to deal with complaints against current and former ministers is put in place.

“Given the several failings on the part of the Permanent Secretary, it is simply wrong for her to have a leading role in the creation of the new process.” Tory Murdo Fraser said: “The Scottish Government failed to ensure measures were in place to guarantee harassment complaints would be robustly dealt with.

“Their procedures shockingly let down women who had bravely came forward to make serious allegations against senior figures.

“Promising to learn from their past mistakes is a step in the right direction from the Scottish Government, but the devil will be in the detail as to what processes they will ultimately put into practice.”

Allan Sampson, Scotland officer for the FDA civil service union, said the changes were a “victory for all those working in Scottish Government, particularly those who have spoken out and fought to make it a better place to work even at the expense of their own careers”.

He said: “This a significant step forward, as the Scottish Government is the first to commit to an independent process for complaints against ministers.

“The Scottish Government need to realise how let down staff have felt, and must make implementation of the process their number one priority. It is a fundamental right that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at work.”