This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-56209521
The article has changed 14 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Alex Salmond claims 'Scotland's leadership has failed' | Alex Salmond claims 'Scotland's leadership has failed' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Mr Salmond is speaking in public about the saga for the first time in almost a year | |
| Alex Salmond has claimed that "Scotland's leadership has failed" as he made his long-awaited appearance at a Scottish Parliament inquiry. | Alex Salmond has claimed that "Scotland's leadership has failed" as he made his long-awaited appearance at a Scottish Parliament inquiry. |
| The former first minister has previously accused people close to his successor Nicola Sturgeon of plotting against him. | The former first minister has previously accused people close to his successor Nicola Sturgeon of plotting against him. |
| The inquiry is examining the Scottish government's botched handling of sexual assault allegations against him. | The inquiry is examining the Scottish government's botched handling of sexual assault allegations against him. |
| Mr Salmond was cleared of 13 charges of sexual assault after a trial last year. | Mr Salmond was cleared of 13 charges of sexual assault after a trial last year. |
| As he started his evidence session at the inquiry, he said no one had yet taken responsibility for his "nightmare" over the past three years. | |
| Follow live coverage of Mr Salmond's evidence | |
| What is the Salmond and Sturgeon row all about? | |
| Could Alex Salmond bring down Nicola Sturgeon? | |
| The Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon story | |
| He said: "The failures of leadership are many and obvious but not a single person has taken responsibility, not a single resignation or sacking, not even admonition. | He said: "The failures of leadership are many and obvious but not a single person has taken responsibility, not a single resignation or sacking, not even admonition. |
| "The Scottish civil service has not failed, its leadership has. The Crown Office has not failed, its leadership has failed. | "The Scottish civil service has not failed, its leadership has. The Crown Office has not failed, its leadership has failed. |
| "Scotland hasn't failed, its leadership has failed." | |
| Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon were close political allies for decades - but are now embroiled in a bitter war of words | |
| Mr Salmond also said he was "severely hampered" in what he could say during the session due to legal constraints, and the fact that some of his written evidence was redacted on the request of the Crown Office after it had already been published by the Scottish Parliament. | |
| His written submissions included claims that there had been a "a deliberate, prolonged, malicious and concerted effort by various people within the Scottish government and the SNP to "damage my reputation, even to the extent of having me imprisoned". | |
| Those named by Mr Salmond included Ms Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, who is the chief executive of the SNP. | |
| Mr Salmond's written evidence also directly took aim at Ms Sturgeon, accusing her of "repeatedly" misleading parliament about her involvement in the row and of breaching the ministerial code. | |
| And he claimed there had been a "complete breakdown of the necessary barriers which should exist between government, political party and indeed the prosecution authorities". | |
| Mr Salmond was cleared of all 13 charges of sexual assault against a total of nine women after a High Court trial in March of last year | |
| Ms Sturgeon has denied there was any conspiracy against Mr Salmond, and has said he is "relishing" the prospect of giving evidence to the committee next week. | Ms Sturgeon has denied there was any conspiracy against Mr Salmond, and has said he is "relishing" the prospect of giving evidence to the committee next week. |
| The Holyrood session with Mr Salmond, which began at 12:30 and is expected to last about four hours, had been delayed on several occasions. | |
| As he made his opening statement, Mr Salmond said he had "watched in astonishment" on Wednesday as Ms Sturgeon "used a Covid press conference to effectively question the result of a jury". | |
| "I said nothing - well today that changes." | |
| Mr Salmond said he had "no incentive or advantage in revisiting the hurt and shock of the last three years". | |
| But he added: "We can't turn the page or move on until the decision-making which is undermining the system of government in Scotland is addressed." |