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| Nicola Sturgeon gives evidence to Alex Salmond inquiry amid calls to resign - live updates | Nicola Sturgeon gives evidence to Alex Salmond inquiry amid calls to resign - live updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Follow live updates as Scotland’s first minister appears before MSPs, amid multiple allegations that she broke the ministerial code | Follow live updates as Scotland’s first minister appears before MSPs, amid multiple allegations that she broke the ministerial code |
| Margaret Mitchell says that when the inquiry was announced in January 2019 Sturgeon said the government would provide any material requested. Why didn’t that happen? | |
| Sturgeon says she considers that did happen. “Copious amounts of information”, have been made available. The main issue of difference between the committee and the government is legal advice and there is a longstanding convention that governments do not release legal advice, the first minister says. | |
| Sturgeon says that her judgment on informing the permanent secretary of her meetings with Salmond changed when it became clear Salmond was seriously considering legal action against the government. | |
| Regarding to the legal advice published last night, Sturgeon says that as late as 11 December 2018 lawyers were saying there was credible evidence to challenge the judicial review. This only changed at a later date (presumably when the government conceded the case), she says. | |
| Sturgeon says the claim that anyone acted with malice against Salmond “is not based on any fact”. | |
| She says she is relieved to be finally facing the committee but it also makes her sad because the human elements of this situation have been lost. | |
| Salmond was someone “I cared about for a long time”, says the first minister. | |
| She said watching her predecessor on Friday she looked for evidence of him acknowledging the human impact on others. | |
| Sturgeon says there was no recognition of that during Salmond’s evidence to the committee. | |
| She ends by defending her own actions. | |
| The first minister says at the 2 April 2018 meeting with Alex Salmond, he shared a letter with her setting out the allegations against him. He shared details of one incident which she viewed as highly inappropriate. | |
| Regarding her meeting with Geoff Aberdein, Salmond’s chief of staff, on 29 March 2018, Sturgeon says her recollection is different from Aberdein’s and he talked about harassment allegations against Salmond in general terms. | |
| She says the specifics of the allegations were only detailed to her on 2 April and that is when they became real and shocking to her. | |
| Sturgeon said she did not record details of the meeting on 2 April because she did not want to undermine the confidentiality of the process that was under way. | |
| Sturgeon takes the oath and begins her opening statement. | |
| She says the spotlight shone on workplace harassment in late 2017 was long coming and it was right for the Scottish government to review its processes. | |
| She says it was correct to investigate Alex Salmond, regardless of his status. | |
| She says as a result of a “very serious mistake” in the investigation into Salmond, two women were failed. | |
| Sturgeon acknowledges that it is right for her role to come under scrutiny and says she will do her best to answer all questions in detail. | |
| The committee hearing has commenced. It is convened by the SNP’s Linda Fabiani who is just setting out the background and rules.I have already mentioned Salmond’s lawyer, Duncan Hamilton. Other key characters whose names are likely to come up in the committee hearing, include | |
| Peter Murrell, Sturgeon’s husband and chief executive of the SNP. | |
| Leslie Evans, permanent secretary to the Scottish government. | |
| Geoff Aberdein, former chief of staff to Salmond. | |
| Liz Lloyd, chief of staff to Sturgeon. | |
| James Wolffe, QC, lord advocate. | |
| Judith MacKinnon, HR specialist and investigating officer. | |
| Barbara Allison, former director of people for the Scottish government. | |
| The legal advice to the Scottish government on the judicial review into the government’s investigation into allegations of harassment against Salmond can be read in full here. | |
| The letter from Salmond’s lawyer is here (pdf). | |
| The Scottish Conservatives have just set out plans to hold votes of no confidence in the deputy first minister, John Swinney, and the first minister Nicola Sturgeon. | |
| The party will propose a vote of no confidence in Swinney is held today to try to force the government into publishing the remaining legal advice. The Scottish Conservatives say the advice published last night contained only excerpts and key evidence had clearly been omitted. | The party will propose a vote of no confidence in Swinney is held today to try to force the government into publishing the remaining legal advice. The Scottish Conservatives say the advice published last night contained only excerpts and key evidence had clearly been omitted. |
| They will also lodge a motion of no confidence in Sturgeon today and seek to hold the vote itself very soon after the legal advice has been published, they say. | They will also lodge a motion of no confidence in Sturgeon today and seek to hold the vote itself very soon after the legal advice has been published, they say. |
| The Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ros,s said: | |
| Good morning. Welcome to live coverage of Nicola Sturgeon’s critical appearance before a committee of MSPs to give evidence on oath on the Scottish government’s unlawful inquiry into complaints against her predecessor, Alex Salmond. | Good morning. Welcome to live coverage of Nicola Sturgeon’s critical appearance before a committee of MSPs to give evidence on oath on the Scottish government’s unlawful inquiry into complaints against her predecessor, Alex Salmond. |
| The pressure on the first minister intensified last night when confidential legal advice was released showing Scottish government lawyers had warned Sturgeon and other senior members of her administration that they were likely to lose the judicial review that Salmond launched in August 2018 to investigate its handling of harassment claims against him. The government continued its defence nevertheless. | The pressure on the first minister intensified last night when confidential legal advice was released showing Scottish government lawyers had warned Sturgeon and other senior members of her administration that they were likely to lose the judicial review that Salmond launched in August 2018 to investigate its handling of harassment claims against him. The government continued its defence nevertheless. |
| In a letter to a Holyrood committee, also put out last night, one of Salmond’s lawyers, Duncan Hamilton, backed up several claims made by his client during more than six hours of testimony to the committee on Friday. The letter contains evidence from two witnesses calling into question Sturgeon’s version of events of what she knew and when. | In a letter to a Holyrood committee, also put out last night, one of Salmond’s lawyers, Duncan Hamilton, backed up several claims made by his client during more than six hours of testimony to the committee on Friday. The letter contains evidence from two witnesses calling into question Sturgeon’s version of events of what she knew and when. |
| Salmond has accused his one time protege and close friend, of breaking the ministerial code - a charge she has already denied - on multiple occasions. | Salmond has accused his one time protege and close friend, of breaking the ministerial code - a charge she has already denied - on multiple occasions. |
| It’s a complex story but you can read a comprehensive account of the background here. | It’s a complex story but you can read a comprehensive account of the background here. |
| In brief, it relates to the way the Scottish government investigated allegations of harassment against Alex Salmond. The high court later cleared him of allegations of sexual misconduct. | In brief, it relates to the way the Scottish government investigated allegations of harassment against Alex Salmond. The high court later cleared him of allegations of sexual misconduct. |
| In 2019, the Scottish government admitted defeat in the aforementioned judicial review into how it handled the investigations, conceding that it had acted unlawfully and paying more than £512,000 to cover his legal costs. | In 2019, the Scottish government admitted defeat in the aforementioned judicial review into how it handled the investigations, conceding that it had acted unlawfully and paying more than £512,000 to cover his legal costs. |
| This timeline is very useful for understanding what happened when: | This timeline is very useful for understanding what happened when: |
| Sturgeon will begin her evidence at approximately 9am. Here is her written submission to the committee (pdf). | Sturgeon will begin her evidence at approximately 9am. Here is her written submission to the committee (pdf). |
| Here is a useful guide to some of the key questions she is likely to face: | Here is a useful guide to some of the key questions she is likely to face: |
| In brief, they are: | In brief, they are: |
| When did she first learn of concerns about Alex Salmond’s alleged behaviour? | When did she first learn of concerns about Alex Salmond’s alleged behaviour? |
| Why did she agree to meet Salmond and to continue talking to him? | Why did she agree to meet Salmond and to continue talking to him? |
| Did she offer to intervene on Salmond’s behalf at the first meeting? | Did she offer to intervene on Salmond’s behalf at the first meeting? |
| Why did Sturgeon take so long to inform the civil service she had met Salmond? | Why did Sturgeon take so long to inform the civil service she had met Salmond? |
| Did she go against legal advice to abandon the case against Salmond? If so, why? | Did she go against legal advice to abandon the case against Salmond? If so, why? |
| What she knew, if anything, about the alleged leak of the name of a complainer against Salmond to the former first minister? | What she knew, if anything, about the alleged leak of the name of a complainer against Salmond to the former first minister? |