The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Sturgeon under pressure
Probe: Salmond meetings questioned
Pressure mounted on Nicola Sturgeon last night as opposition leaders raised more questions about her handling of sexual harassment claims made against Alex Salmond.
Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said the first minister must explain why she chose to meet Mr Salmond just weeks before the complaints went public.
The prospect of an inquiry into Ms Sturgeon’s conduct moved closer, amid signs that opposition parties were coalescing around a Labour plan for a parliamentary committee to look at the issue.
Their proposal will be discussed at a meeting of the Holyrood bureau on Tuesday.
The Lib Dems are said to be “sympathetic” to the idea if the timing does not interfere with the police probe into Mr Salmond. The Tories are supportive of a Holyrood inquiry.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard renewed calls for Ms Sturgeon to refer herself to the Scottish Government’s independent panel of advisers so claims she broke the ministerial code can be examined.
Ms Sturgeon met Mr Salmond three times and had two phone calls after the Scottish Government launched a probe into claims he sexually harassed two female civil servants.
Former MP, MSP and first minster Mr Salmond denies the claims and this week a Scottish Government probe collapsed after he successfully argued it was unlawful.
Ms Sturgeon has stated the meetings were held in her role as SNP leader, even though her Scottish Government-employed chief of staff Liz Lloyd was present at the first one on April last year at her house.
But she waited for two months before telling permanent secretary Leslie Evans despite the ministerial code stating that talks on government business should be notified “as soon as possible”.
Mr Carlaw said: “The first minister needs to come clean on her bizarre decision to hold a Saturday summit with Mr Salmond at her home in July.
“Were discussions held about ways to bury this whole sordid affair?
“Failure to answer these questions make a Holyrood inquiry inevitable.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “As the first minister told parliament, she was clear to Mr Salmond that she had no role in the process.”
“Were talks held about how to bury this sordid affair?”