NIC OF HER TEETH
Nicola Sturgeon SURVIVES vote of no confidence after misleading Scottish Parliament over Alex Salmond sex probe
NICOLA Sturgeon has comfortably survived a vote of no confidence by 65 to 31 to secure her political future - hours after a probe concluded she did mislead Scottish Parliament over the Alex Salmond allegations.
The First Minister easily fended off the challenge after the Greens backed the SNP and Labour opted to abstain.
3
The vote came hours after the Holyrood inquiry published its findings this morning - and a day after James Hamilton QC's report revealed Ms Sturgeon hadn't breached the ministerial code.
Investigators have been compiling a report into the claims for two years. Their findings were released this morning.
And their report says they "find it hard to believe" that Ms Sturgeon had "no knowledge of any concerns about inappropriate behaviour on the part of Mr Salmond prior to November 2017".
But in a hot-tempered debate before the vote, Ms Salmond accused critics of deciding she was guilty before any evidence was heard.
And she insisted she will not be "bullied out of office" and said she "rejects entirely" the idea that she misled Parliament.
But Ruth Davidson for the Scottish Conservatives told her that the "honourable thing would be to resign".
What does the report say?
- Ms Sturgeon
- Authors of a new report "find it hard to believe" that Ms Sturgeon had "no knowledge of any concerns about inappropriate behaviour on the part of Mr Salmond prior to November 2017"
- The report picks up on "conflicting evidence" about a meeting between Ms Sturgeon and Mr Salmond in April 2018. Ms Sturgeon says this was the first time she knew about the allegations
- The inquiry has found Mr Salmond was left with the impression Ms Sturgeon would 'intervene' on his behalf after that meeting - something she vehemently denies
- It also raised concerns that Ms Sturgeon didn't disclose details of the meeting with Mr Salmond to Scottish Government's most senior civil servant, Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans, until June 6 2018
- Mr Salmond was cleared of all 13 charges against him following a trial
The Committee on the Scottish Government's Handling of Harassment Complaints stated: "If she did have such knowledge, then she should have acted upon it.
"If she did have such knowledge, then she has misled the committee."
A key issue was "conflicting evidence" over a meeting between Ms Sturgeon and Mr Salmond in her Glasgow home on April 2 2018.
Ms Sturgeon has previously stated it was at this meeting she first learned of the allegations against the former first minister.
The pair gave different evidence on whether she would intervene in matters against him.
And authors of the new report says they believe Mr Salmond was 'given the impression' Ms Sturgeon would intervene.
FIRST MINISTER 'GAVE IMPRESSION SHE'D INTERVENE FOR PREDECESSOR'
They said: "Taking account of the competing versions of events, the committee believes that she did in fact leave Mr Salmond with the impression that she would, if necessary, intervene."
Speaking about Ms Sturgeon, the report said: "Her written evidence is therefore an inaccurate account of what happened and she has misled the committee on this matter.
"This is a potential breach of the Ministerial Code."
The inquiry also said it was "concerned" that Ms Sturgeon hadn't disclosed details of the meeting with Mr Salmond to the Scottish Government's most senior civil servant, Leslie Evans, until June 6 2018 - more than two months later.
The probe was set up after a successful judicial review by Mr Salmond resulted in the Scottish Government's investigation being ruled unlawful and "tainted by apparent bias" in 2019.
a week before it was due to be heard in court because of prior contact between the investigating officer Judith Mackinnon and two of the women who made complaints.
The committee said the legal challenge "was clearly a devastating result for the Scottish Government".
3
3
The First Minister was questioned for almost seven hours about her role in the botched investigation earlier this month.
Her predecessor Mr Salmond was also quizzed.
He used his appearance to accuse the First Minister of multiple breaches of the ministerial code and argue there was a "malicious" plot to remove him from public life.
But Ms Sturgeon said she wasn't out to “get” Mr Salmond - and 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".
What were the biggest issues for Nicola Sturgeon?
A key problem for Ms Sturgeon has been a previous written submission in which she insisted she had not offered to intervene in the probe into Mr Salmond.
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."
Another issue for the First Minister 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.
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.
She added: "There is nothing here that the Government has to hide."
The First Minister has as the Scottish Tories revealed they .
Speaking before the report was released, 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."
This morning, her colleague Murdo Fraser told the BBC the inquiry had faced "obstruction, evasion, deceit and lies".
But speaking to reporters as she left home yesterday, Ms Sturgeon vowed to remain in her job.
Most read in News
Hours before Mr Hamilton's report was released, essentially clearing her, she said she's going nowhere.
Read More on The Sun
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.”
And after the report was released today, Deputy First Minister John Swinney told BBC Radio Scotland: "I accept the conclusion of the report, that was agreed unanimously, which agreed that the best place to address if the First Minister had breached the Ministerial Code rests with James Hamilton, and he reported yesterday and cleared the First Minister of any wrongdoing."
Nicola Sturgeon speaks after inquiry says she didn't mislead parliament or break ministerial code
Topics