GREAT SCOT
NICOLA Sturgeon has clung onto her job for now - after a report ruled she didn't break the ministerial code over an investigation into Alex Salmond.
A top QC has this afternoon ruled the First Minister didn't break the ministerial code or deliberately mislead parliament over her involvement in a government probe into harassment allegations against him.
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But Ms Sturgeon is STILL expected to face a vote of no confidence tomorrow - although it's likely to fail after the Scottish Greens said they will not support it.
Responding to the report this afternoon, she said she welcomed the "comprehensive, evidence-based and unequivocal" conclusions.
"Mr Hamilton has considered all of the allegations against me, and I am happy that his report's findings clear me of any breach of the ministerial code," she said.
"I sought at every stage in this issue to act with integrity and in the public interest. As I have previously made clear, I did not consider that I had broken the code, but these findings are official, definitive and independent adjudication of that.
"Prior to its publication, opposition politicians stressed the importance of respecting and accepting the outcome of Mr Hamilton's independent inquiry, and I committed wholeheartedly to doing so.
"Now that he has reported, it is incumbent on them to do likewise."
Mr Hamilton's report stated: "I am of the opinion that the First Minister did not breach the provisions of the ministerial code in respect of any of these matters."
His decision that Ms Sturgeon did her best in a difficult situation essentially means she's been cleared.
Despite that, Ms Sturgeon's critics are likely to continue calling for her to quit over the saga.
An opinion poll of 6,500 people found that just 35 per cent of Scottish voters would like another independence referendum this year.
STURGEON VOWS TO CONTINUE LEADING SCOTLAND
She assured reporters this morning she'll "continue leading Scotland through the pandemic" - hours before James Hamilton's crucial report was released.
A defiant Ms Sturgeon insisted she has no plans to step down from her role as she left home this morning - after hitting back at rivals last week.
She told journalists: “I’m going to do what I’ve done for every day for the past year - lead the country through a pandemic.”
Mr Hamilton’s report comes after MSPs ruled the First Minister had misled a Holyrood committee about a meeting with Mr Salmond at her home.
She has as the Scottish Tories revealed they .
But Ms Sturgeon accused inquiry committee members of a “partisan leak” as she stood by her own evidence.
Mr Hamilton, Ireland's former director of public prosecutions, submitted the findings of his independent investigation today.
He had been examining whether Ms Sturgeon broke the ministerial code of conduct by:
- Misleading parliament over when she found out about her government's investigation into Mr Salmond.
- Misleading parliament by claiming she did not offer to intervene in her government's investigation.
- Failing to record her meetings with Mr Salmond.
He also examined whether the Scottish government allegedly leaked the name of a complainer against Mr Salmond and whether public money was wasted by ignoring legal advice that Mr Salmond would win a judicial review.
He won a judicial review in January 2019 after a judge found that the civil service investigation against him was "tainted by bias" and was awarded £512,250 in legal costs.
UNDER PRESSURE
Yesterday SNP health chief - and said she’s “led by example”.
On whether her boss should resign, Ms Freeman said: “We don't have either of those two confirmed reports yet, so we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves.
“The most important one is actually the independent inquiry into whether the First Minister breached the ministerial code, that she referred herself to in January 2019.
"We expect that report this week and that is the one where James Hamilton the QC has looked at all of these matters and he will produce his conclusion.
“That's the one that is genuinely independent and objective and we will see what that report says and the First Minister will take the necessary decisions after that."
But Scottish Tory Holyrood chief Ruth Davidson said: “If Nicola Sturgeon has a shred of integrity, she should be considering her position. She has every opportunity to do the right thing and resign.
“No First Minister is above the fundamental principles of honesty and trust.
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“There is no question that Nicola Sturgeon has misled Parliament and broken the promises she made to tell the truth.
“The SNP’s erratic outburst today against the committee shows the panicked spiral they are now in.”
Earlier this month, Ms Sturgeon examining the Scottish Government’s unlawful investigation into sexual harassment complaints made against Mr Salmond.
Ms Sturgeon referred herself over concerns
Ms Sturgeon referred herself to James Hamilton, the independent advisor on the ministerial code.
It followed Mr Salmond's successful legal challenge of the Scottish Government's unlawful investigation, which led to him winning more than £500,000 in court.
Mr Hamilton's investigation was paused in early 2019 to avoid prejudicing criminal proceedings brought against Mr Salmond.
He was acquitted of 13 charges, including sexual assault, indecent assault and attempted rape, in March 2020 following a High Court trial.
Mr Hamilton's inquiry was delayed again by the pandemic, before resuming in August 2020.
The code says it is the First Minister who is "the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a minister" and the appropriate consequences for breaches.
A key problem for Sturgeon has been a previous written submission in which she insisted she had not offered to intervene in the probe.
But Mr Salmond said she had made such an offer during a meeting at her house on April 2, 2018.
His account was corroborated by his lawyer Duncan Hamilton, who was present and claims she said: "If it comes to it, I will intervene."
Ms Sturgeon says she was "trying to let a long standing friend and colleague down gently."
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Another issue for Ms Sturgeon is that she has repeatedly insisted she did not know about the allegations facing Mr Salmond until April 2, 2018 when he visited her home.
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But his former chief of staff met her in her parliamentary office on March 29 to discuss the claims and arrange the April 2 summit.
Ms Sturgeon has said she "forgot" about the meeting.
Nicola Sturgeon denies misleading parliament over Salmond ‘sexual misconduct scandal’
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