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| Salmond and Sturgeon: What is the controversy all about? | Salmond and Sturgeon: What is the controversy all about? |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon did not break rules during an investigation into her predecessor, Alex Salmond, according to an independent investigation. | Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon did not break rules during an investigation into her predecessor, Alex Salmond, according to an independent investigation. |
| It follows a bitter row between Ms Sturgeon and Mr Salmond. What's it all about? | It follows a bitter row between Ms Sturgeon and Mr Salmond. What's it all about? |
| Who are Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon? | Who are Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon? |
| The pair dominated Scottish politics for more than a decade. They led the campaign for Scotland to become independent from the UK. | The pair dominated Scottish politics for more than a decade. They led the campaign for Scotland to become independent from the UK. |
| Alex Salmond was Scotland's first minister and Scottish National Party leader before Ms Sturgeon, who had been his deputy. She took over after the 2014 independence referendum, which saw Scotland back remaining in the UK by 55% to 45%. | Alex Salmond was Scotland's first minister and Scottish National Party leader before Ms Sturgeon, who had been his deputy. She took over after the 2014 independence referendum, which saw Scotland back remaining in the UK by 55% to 45%. |
| Why have they fallen out? | Why have they fallen out? |
| The row began when allegations of sexual harassment - strongly denied - were made against Mr Salmond by two female civil servants in 2018. | The row began when allegations of sexual harassment - strongly denied - were made against Mr Salmond by two female civil servants in 2018. |
| The complaints were made after Ms Sturgeon asked for new government policies on sexual harassment to be put in place in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Mr Salmond believed the policy was aimed at him. | The complaints were made after Ms Sturgeon asked for new government policies on sexual harassment to be put in place in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Mr Salmond believed the policy was aimed at him. |
| The Scottish government eventually admitted it had botched its investigation. It had to pay Mr Salmond's legal fees of more than £500,000 after it admitted it had acted unlawfully. | The Scottish government eventually admitted it had botched its investigation. It had to pay Mr Salmond's legal fees of more than £500,000 after it admitted it had acted unlawfully. |
| Mr Salmond has accused officials close to Ms Sturgeon - including her husband Peter Murrell, the SNP's chief executive - of plotting against him. They all deny these claims. | Mr Salmond has accused officials close to Ms Sturgeon - including her husband Peter Murrell, the SNP's chief executive - of plotting against him. They all deny these claims. |
| Then, in January 2019, Mr Salmond was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault, including attempted rape. | Then, in January 2019, Mr Salmond was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault, including attempted rape. |
| What happened in Alex Salmond's trial? | What happened in Alex Salmond's trial? |
| March 2020 - Alex Salmond gave his reaction to being cleared | March 2020 - Alex Salmond gave his reaction to being cleared |
| Mr Salmond was cleared of all 13 charges - which were alleged to have happened while he was first minister - after a trial last March. | Mr Salmond was cleared of all 13 charges - which were alleged to have happened while he was first minister - after a trial last March. |
| The nine women who made the allegations included an SNP politician, a party worker and several current and former Scottish government civil servants and officials. | The nine women who made the allegations included an SNP politician, a party worker and several current and former Scottish government civil servants and officials. |
| In court, Mr Salmond said the claims made about his alleged conduct were "deliberate fabrications for a political purpose", or "exaggerations". | In court, Mr Salmond said the claims made about his alleged conduct were "deliberate fabrications for a political purpose", or "exaggerations". |
| After being acquitted, he said there was "certain information" he had been unable to talk about during the trial, but which would "see the light of day" in the future. | After being acquitted, he said there was "certain information" he had been unable to talk about during the trial, but which would "see the light of day" in the future. |
| He has since claimed there was a "deliberate, prolonged, malicious and concerted effort" from some in the Scottish government and leading SNP figures to damage him and even have him sent to prison. | He has since claimed there was a "deliberate, prolonged, malicious and concerted effort" from some in the Scottish government and leading SNP figures to damage him and even have him sent to prison. |
| Ms Sturgeon has accused him of peddling false conspiracy theories and suggested her predecessor is angry because she "did not collude with him" to make the sexual harassment allegations "go away". | Ms Sturgeon has accused him of peddling false conspiracy theories and suggested her predecessor is angry because she "did not collude with him" to make the sexual harassment allegations "go away". |
| What have the inquiries been looking at? | What have the inquiries been looking at? |
| Following the trial, two separate inquiries began. One is by a committee of MSPs and the other by James Hamilton, Ireland's former director of public prosecutions. | |
| Mr Hamilton's inquiry looked at whether Ms Sturgeon breached the ministerial code - which sets out how ministers should behave. It examined whether she had interfered with the civil service investigation into the allegations against Mr Salmond, or misled parliament about what she knew and when. | Mr Hamilton's inquiry looked at whether Ms Sturgeon breached the ministerial code - which sets out how ministers should behave. It examined whether she had interfered with the civil service investigation into the allegations against Mr Salmond, or misled parliament about what she knew and when. |
| This report cleared Ms Sturgeon of breaching the ministerial code. | This report cleared Ms Sturgeon of breaching the ministerial code. |
| Ms Sturgeon gave eight hours of evidence to the committee of MSPs earlier this month | Ms Sturgeon gave eight hours of evidence to the committee of MSPs earlier this month |
| Separately, the committee of MSPs has been examining the Scottish government's handling of the initial complaints against Mr Salmond. | Separately, the committee of MSPs has been examining the Scottish government's handling of the initial complaints against Mr Salmond. |
| Its report will be published on Tuesday - but some details have already been leaked.. | Its report will be published on Tuesday - but some details have already been leaked.. |
| MSPs on the committee are said to have voted by five to four that Ms Sturgeon misled their inquiry during her marathon evidence session earlier this month. | MSPs on the committee are said to have voted by five to four that Ms Sturgeon misled their inquiry during her marathon evidence session earlier this month. |
| The committee is also expected to be critical of the government, which it has previously accused of attempting to frustrate its work. | The committee is also expected to be critical of the government, which it has previously accused of attempting to frustrate its work. |
| What does this mean for Nicola Sturgeon? | What does this mean for Nicola Sturgeon? |
| Many Scottish voters believe Ms Sturgeon has handled the coronavirus pandemic well | Many Scottish voters believe Ms Sturgeon has handled the coronavirus pandemic well |
| The row has divided the SNP ahead of the Scottish Parliament election on 6 May, with some prominent MPs and many grassroots activists openly backing Mr Salmond. | The row has divided the SNP ahead of the Scottish Parliament election on 6 May, with some prominent MPs and many grassroots activists openly backing Mr Salmond. |
| Some opinion polls have suggested that the fallout could threaten the SNP's hopes of winning an overall majority in the election - although it remains on course to once again finish as the largest party. | Some opinion polls have suggested that the fallout could threaten the SNP's hopes of winning an overall majority in the election - although it remains on course to once again finish as the largest party. |
| Panorama on Salmond v Sturgeon is available on BBC iplayer. | Panorama on Salmond v Sturgeon is available on BBC iplayer. |