SALMOND SLAMMED
Nicola Sturgeon blasts Alex Salmond’s ‘deeply inappropriate behaviour’ amid ‘sex pest’ storm as she fights for her job
NICOLA Sturgeon today slammed Alex Salmond's "deeply inappropriate behaviour" amid the "sex pest" storm as she fights for her job.
The under-fire First Minister also apologised to the two women she admits were "failed" by a Scottish Government investigation into harassment complaints against Mr Salmond.
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She said while Mr Salmond denied the allegations, he gave her an account of one of the incidents "which he said he had apologised for at the time".
Ms Sturgeon added: "What he described constituted, in my view, deeply inappropriate behaviour on his part, perhaps another reason why that moment is embedded so strongly in my mind."
She added that she "did not attach the same significance" to an earlier conversation she had had with Mr Aberdein on March 29.
"The purpose of the conversation seemed to be to persuade me to meet with Alex as soon as possible, which I did agree to do," she said.
"Geoff did indicate a harassment type issue had arisen, but my recollection is he did so in general terms."
The First Minister admitted that "taxpayers' money was lost" due to the error as she appeared before a make-or-break Holyrood committee.
She has been accused of lying to the Scottish Parliament over what she knew about claims against her predecessor and is facing calls to resign.
Ms Sturgeon told MSPs: "As the result of a very serous mistake in the investigation of the complaints against Alex Salmond, two women were failed and taxpayers money was lost.
"I deeply regret that. Although I was not aware of the error at the time I am the head of the Scottish Government, so I want to take this opportunity to say sorry to the two women involved and to the wider public.
'I DEEPLY REGRET THAT'
"I also accept without any reservation that my actions deserve to be scrutinised."
Ms Sturgeon also insisted she wasn’t out to “get” Mr Salmond - as she slammed “absurd” claims there was a plot against him.
She rejected the "absurd suggestion that anyone acted with malice or as part of a plot against Alex Salmond", saying the "claim is not based in any fact".
She added: "There is nothing here that the Government has to hide."
SNP MSP Alasdair Allan said that some have claimed the Government's revised harassment procedure, which were also applied to former ministers, was "created to get Alex Salmond".
But Ms Sturgeon said: "It wasn't. Absolutely, emphatically not.
"Alex Salmond has been, and I have said this many times, one of the closest people to me in my entire life.
"I would never have wanted to get Alex Salmond, and I would never, ever have wanted any of this to happen.
"If I could have, short of brushing complaints under the carpet which would have been wrong to me, if I could turn the clock back and find legitimate ways that none of this would ever have happened, then I would.
"Alex Salmond has been for most of my life, since I was about 20, 21 years old, not just a very close political colleague, a friend, someone in my younger days who I looked up to and revered.
"I had no motive, intention, desire to get Alex Salmond."
She came out swinging against claims made by Mr Salmond during his own evidence hearing last week about the events in the run up to the .
I had no motive, intention, desire to get Alex Salmond."
Nicola Sturgeon
Ms Sturgeon stood by her claim that she first learned of allegations against him at a meeting on April 2, 2018.
And she insisted "suggestion that anyone acted with malice or as part of a plot against" her predecessor "absurd".
She said one of the alleged incidents he described to her represented "in my view deeply inappropriate behaviour on his part".
The First Minister told the committee: "That he was acquitted by a jury of criminal conduct was beyond question.
"But I know, from what he told me, that his behaviour was not appropriate.
"And yet across six hours of testimony there was not a single word of regret."
And she added: "I believe I acted properly and appropriately and overall I made the best judgements I could."
Deputy convener Margaret Mitchell accused the Scottish Government of impeding the committee's investigation with "delay, obstruction, obfuscation" in disclosing key information.
Ms Sturgeon said she shared that "frustration" but insisted: "There's no intention on the part of the government to withhold relevant information from this committee."
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Ms Sturgeon was defended by the SNP's leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, who insisted his boss isn't fighting for her political career.
And he vowed she will be "very much vindicated when she reaches the end of this process".
He said: "What you're seeing is the worst kind of politicking from the Conservatives.
"This is a situation that will be drawing to a close. I fully expect we'll be looking forward to an election campaign over the next few weeks."
But senior Tory MP Simon Clarke said Ms Sturgeon should resign if she's found guilty of breaking the ministerial code.
He said: “It would be my view that any minister in any Parliament who found themselves in that situation would be in an untenable position.
“The seriousness of the allegations which are in front of the Holyrood committee are of a different order of magnitude to anything I can recall in recent times in Westminster.”
Last week Mr Salmond said he has "no doubt" that Ms Sturgeon broke the ministerial code - but said it wasn't for him to say if she should resign.
On the eve of today's hearing two SNP insiders gave bombshell evidence saying the First Minister had misled Holyrood.
While long-secret emails revealed Ms Sturgeon ignored lawyers to pursue Mr Salmond through the courts - racking up a £500,000 taxpayer bill.
The Scottish Tories said the evidence against the embattled SNP boss is “overwhelming” and demanded she quit.
Turning up the heat, they have tabled a no confidence vote in the Scottish leader.
Douglas Ross, leader of Scottish Tories, raged: “There is no longer any doubt that Nicola Sturgeon lied to the and broke the Ministerial Code on numerous counts.
“No First Minister can be allowed to mislead the Scottish people and continue in office, especially when they have tried to cover up the truth and abused the power of their office in the process.
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“The weight of the evidence is overwhelming. Nicola Sturgeon must resign.”
Ms Sturgeon and her allies are accused of hounding Mr Salmond out of politics after he was hit by sex harassment allegations.
He was tried and cleared of the charges. Scottish politicians are probing the Scottish government’s botched probe into the saga.
In a sensational day in Holyrood, , a former SNP spinner, said Ms Sturgeon found out about the allegations earlier than she has claimed.
He also said that one of the alleged victim’s names was given to Mr Salmond’s team.
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In separate testimony, , a former SNP politician, said Ms Sturgeon offered to intervene in the case. She has always denied the claim.
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The devastating claims pile pressure on the under-fire Scottish leader ahead of her own showdown appearance before the committee tomorrow.
The bitter row has laid bare the civil war which threatens to tear the once all-powerful Scottish party apart.
Alex Salmond has ‘no doubt’ Sturgeon broke the ministerial code but sats it isn't for him to say if she should resign
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