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| Sturgeon 'had no reason to want to get' Salmond | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Nicola Sturgeon says claims of conspiracy against Alex Salmond 'absurd' | Nicola Sturgeon says claims of conspiracy against Alex Salmond 'absurd' |
| Nicola Sturgeon has insisted she had no reason to want to "get" Alex Salmond as she dismissed claims of a plot against him as "absurd". | Nicola Sturgeon has insisted she had no reason to want to "get" Alex Salmond as she dismissed claims of a plot against him as "absurd". |
| The first minister was speaking at the inquiry into her government's unlawful handling of harassment complaints against her predecessor. | The first minister was speaking at the inquiry into her government's unlawful handling of harassment complaints against her predecessor. |
| She apologised to the two women who had made the complaints, saying they were let down by a "very serious error". | She apologised to the two women who had made the complaints, saying they were let down by a "very serious error". |
| But she rejected much of Mr Salmond's version of events. | But she rejected much of Mr Salmond's version of events. |
| And she insisted her government had nothing to hide, despite accusations of a cover-up from opposition parties. | |
| Mr Salmond has previously claimed several people within the SNP and Scottish government - including Ms Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell, the party's chief executive - were involved in a "deliberate, prolonged, malicious and concerted effort" to damage his reputation, even to the extent of attempting to have him imprisoned. | Mr Salmond has previously claimed several people within the SNP and Scottish government - including Ms Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell, the party's chief executive - were involved in a "deliberate, prolonged, malicious and concerted effort" to damage his reputation, even to the extent of attempting to have him imprisoned. |
| Ms Sturgeon said she had "thought often" about the impact of the past three years on Mr Salmond, but said Mr Salmond had shown no sign of thinking of others. | Ms Sturgeon said she had "thought often" about the impact of the past three years on Mr Salmond, but said Mr Salmond had shown no sign of thinking of others. |
| The seven key questions facing Nicola Sturgeon | The seven key questions facing Nicola Sturgeon |
| What is the Salmond and Sturgeon row all about? | What is the Salmond and Sturgeon row all about? |
| Could Alex Salmond bring down Nicola Sturgeon? | Could Alex Salmond bring down Nicola Sturgeon? |
| The Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon story | The Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon story |
| She said she had watched Mr Salmond give evidence to the inquiry committee last Friday and had found herself "searching for any sign at all that he recognised how difficult this had been for others too". | She said she had watched Mr Salmond give evidence to the inquiry committee last Friday and had found herself "searching for any sign at all that he recognised how difficult this had been for others too". |
| The first minister added: "First of all, for women who believed his behaviour towards them was inappropriate. | The first minister added: "First of all, for women who believed his behaviour towards them was inappropriate. |
| "But also for those of us who have campaigned alongside him, worked with him, cared for him, and consider him a friend - who now stand unfairly accused of plotting against him." | "But also for those of us who have campaigned alongside him, worked with him, cared for him, and consider him a friend - who now stand unfairly accused of plotting against him." |
| Mr Salmond told the inquiry last week that he had "no doubt" that Ms Sturgeon had breached the ministerial code. | Mr Salmond told the inquiry last week that he had "no doubt" that Ms Sturgeon had breached the ministerial code. |
| Ms Sturgeon acknowledged that Mr Salmond had been cleared of all of the sexual assault allegations against him by a High Court jury. | Ms Sturgeon acknowledged that Mr Salmond had been cleared of all of the sexual assault allegations against him by a High Court jury. |
| But she added: "I know just from what he told me that his behaviour was not always appropriate. | But she added: "I know just from what he told me that his behaviour was not always appropriate. |
| "And yet across six hours of testimony, there was not a single word of regret, reflection or even a simple acknowledgement of that. | "And yet across six hours of testimony, there was not a single word of regret, reflection or even a simple acknowledgement of that. |
| "I can only hope that in private, the reality might be different." | "I can only hope that in private, the reality might be different." |
| Ms Sturgeon said the moment Mr Salmond showed her a letter detailing the complaints against him was "a moment I will never forget". | Ms Sturgeon said the moment Mr Salmond showed her a letter detailing the complaints against him was "a moment I will never forget". |
| The inquiry meeting is being held at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh | The inquiry meeting is being held at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh |
| She said Mr Salmond had denied the allegations, but gave an account of one of the incidents which in her view had constituted "deeply inappropriate behaviour on his part." | |
| The first minister said the female complainers had come forward "of their own free will", and that while some offered support to each other, this was not evidence of a conspiracy. | |
| Ms Sturgeon told the cross-party committee of MSPs that Mr Salmond had been one of the "closest people to me in my entire life". | Ms Sturgeon told the cross-party committee of MSPs that Mr Salmond had been one of the "closest people to me in my entire life". |
| She added: "I would never have wanted to 'get' Alex Salmond - I would never, ever have wanted any of this to happen. I had no motive, intention or desire to 'get' Alex Salmond." | She added: "I would never have wanted to 'get' Alex Salmond - I would never, ever have wanted any of this to happen. I had no motive, intention or desire to 'get' Alex Salmond." |
| Ms Sturgeon was Mr Salmond's deputy for many years before succeeding him as SNP leader and first minister in 2014 | Ms Sturgeon was Mr Salmond's deputy for many years before succeeding him as SNP leader and first minister in 2014 |
| The inquiry is examining the Scottish government's botched handling of sexual harassment complaints made against Mr Salmond by two female civil servants. | The inquiry is examining the Scottish government's botched handling of sexual harassment complaints made against Mr Salmond by two female civil servants. |
| Ms Sturgeon is facing calls to quit from Scottish Conservatives after new documents released on Tuesday evening raised further questions about her involvement in the saga. | Ms Sturgeon is facing calls to quit from Scottish Conservatives after new documents released on Tuesday evening raised further questions about her involvement in the saga. |
| Calls for Sturgeon to quit over Salmond revelations | Calls for Sturgeon to quit over Salmond revelations |
| The government published emails showing it continued a doomed legal fight with Mr Salmond despite its lawyers advising it was likely to lose. | The government published emails showing it continued a doomed legal fight with Mr Salmond despite its lawyers advising it was likely to lose. |
| It ended up paying Mr Salmond's legal fees of more than £500,000, on top of its own costs, after the investigation was found to have been unlawful and "tainted with bias" ahead of a judicial review. | |
| Ms Sturgeon insisted that her meetings with lawyers had initially left her satisfied that the government was not "in some way prolonging a judicial review that was dead in the water". | |
| She admitted that advice received shortly before it did admit defeat had been "dreadful" and "catastrophic", but said the government had taken a "legally sound" approach by then deciding to concede the case. | |
| Further evidence from two other witnesses also called into question Ms Sturgeon's account of meetings she had with Mr Salmond and Geoff Aberdein, his former chief of staff. | Further evidence from two other witnesses also called into question Ms Sturgeon's account of meetings she had with Mr Salmond and Geoff Aberdein, his former chief of staff. |
| Ms Sturgeon told the inquiry the meetings were not recorded because of her desire to "protect the independence and confidentiality" of the complaints process. | Ms Sturgeon told the inquiry the meetings were not recorded because of her desire to "protect the independence and confidentiality" of the complaints process. |
| And she said she did not agree with Mr Salmond's assertion that there had been a "shared understanding" of what the meeting in Ms Sturgeon's home was to be about. | And she said she did not agree with Mr Salmond's assertion that there had been a "shared understanding" of what the meeting in Ms Sturgeon's home was to be about. |
| Was Mr Salmond told the name of a complainer? | Was Mr Salmond told the name of a complainer? |
| Ms Sturgeon was questioned at length about claims the name of a complainer was passed to Mr Salmond while the meeting between the two first ministers was being set up. | Ms Sturgeon was questioned at length about claims the name of a complainer was passed to Mr Salmond while the meeting between the two first ministers was being set up. |
| Mr Salmond said the name had been revealed to his former chief of staff Geoff Aberdein, and two other former SNP staffers - Kevin Pringle and Duncan Hamilton - have written to the committee to support his account. | Mr Salmond said the name had been revealed to his former chief of staff Geoff Aberdein, and two other former SNP staffers - Kevin Pringle and Duncan Hamilton - have written to the committee to support his account. |
| However Ms Sturgeon told the inquiry that she had been given assurances that "it did not happen in the way that has been described". | However Ms Sturgeon told the inquiry that she had been given assurances that "it did not happen in the way that has been described". |
| She said she believed that Mr Salmond was already aware of the identities of the two complainers, and that Mr Hamilton and Mr Pringle were not present at the meeting in question. | |
| She said she was prevented from going into more detail due to legal constraints, but added: "I understand evidence has been given to this committee that denies that allegation, and I believe there has been an offer of confidential evidence as well." | She said she was prevented from going into more detail due to legal constraints, but added: "I understand evidence has been given to this committee that denies that allegation, and I believe there has been an offer of confidential evidence as well." |
| As Ms Sturgeon was speaking, Mr Salmond's spokesman released a statement saying he had lodged a formal complaint with Scotland's top civil servant, Leslie Evans, about "the conduct of the official who is alleged to have breached civil service rules by disclosing the name of a complainant." | As Ms Sturgeon was speaking, Mr Salmond's spokesman released a statement saying he had lodged a formal complaint with Scotland's top civil servant, Leslie Evans, about "the conduct of the official who is alleged to have breached civil service rules by disclosing the name of a complainant." |
| One of the most serious allegations levelled at Nicola Sturgeon's administration is that a senior Scottish government official gave the name of a woman who complained about Alex Salmond's behaviour to his former chief of staff, Geoff Aberdein. | One of the most serious allegations levelled at Nicola Sturgeon's administration is that a senior Scottish government official gave the name of a woman who complained about Alex Salmond's behaviour to his former chief of staff, Geoff Aberdein. |
| Mr Salmond's lawyer Duncan Hamilton and another of his former advisers, Kevin Pringle, have backed up his account that Mr Aberdein told them this happened in a private exchange with a member of the first minister's team in early March 2018. | Mr Salmond's lawyer Duncan Hamilton and another of his former advisers, Kevin Pringle, have backed up his account that Mr Aberdein told them this happened in a private exchange with a member of the first minister's team in early March 2018. |
| Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser - who is himself a lawyer - presented this as corroboration of a potentially criminal disclosure. | Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser - who is himself a lawyer - presented this as corroboration of a potentially criminal disclosure. |
| However, Nicola Sturgeon said that while she did not wish to question the sincerity of these accounts, this evidence amounted to hearsay because neither Mr Hamilton nor Mr Pringle were giving a first hand account of events. | However, Nicola Sturgeon said that while she did not wish to question the sincerity of these accounts, this evidence amounted to hearsay because neither Mr Hamilton nor Mr Pringle were giving a first hand account of events. |
| The first minister said only Geoff Aberdein and the senior official in her team were able to do that. The senior official has specifically denied releasing the name of a complainer. | The first minister said only Geoff Aberdein and the senior official in her team were able to do that. The senior official has specifically denied releasing the name of a complainer. |
| Ms Sturgeon went on to say that Mr Salmond knew the names of both complainers when she met him on 2 April 2018 - because he had apologised to one about his behaviour and had worked out the identity of the other by trawling the Scottish government's Flickr account. | Ms Sturgeon went on to say that Mr Salmond knew the names of both complainers when she met him on 2 April 2018 - because he had apologised to one about his behaviour and had worked out the identity of the other by trawling the Scottish government's Flickr account. |
| The implication here is that Mr Salmond did not need any assistance from someone in her team to identify those who raised the original harassment complaints against him. | The implication here is that Mr Salmond did not need any assistance from someone in her team to identify those who raised the original harassment complaints against him. |
| Mr Salmond used his evidence session last week to accuse his former protege of repeatedly misleading parliament, and said he had "no doubt" she had breached the ministerial code. | Mr Salmond used his evidence session last week to accuse his former protege of repeatedly misleading parliament, and said he had "no doubt" she had breached the ministerial code. |
| A separate inquiry headed by Irish lawyer James Hamilton is specifically looking at whether this was the case. | A separate inquiry headed by Irish lawyer James Hamilton is specifically looking at whether this was the case. |
| Ms Sturgeon told the committee: "Two women were failed, and taxpayer's money was lost - I deeply regret that." | |
| She said the government had made a "very serious mistake" in how it had applied a newly-devised procedure to the complaints against Mr Salmond. | She said the government had made a "very serious mistake" in how it had applied a newly-devised procedure to the complaints against Mr Salmond. |
| But she has repeatedly denied breaching the code - which sets out how government ministers are expected to behave. | But she has repeatedly denied breaching the code - which sets out how government ministers are expected to behave. |
| Ms Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, has denied Mr Salmond's claim that he was involved in plotting his downfall | Ms Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, has denied Mr Salmond's claim that he was involved in plotting his downfall |
| The first minister also insisted that the complaints procedure was not put in place to target Mr Salmond, as some of his supporters have claimed. | The first minister also insisted that the complaints procedure was not put in place to target Mr Salmond, as some of his supporters have claimed. |
| She told the committee that she was not aware of any allegations or concerns about sexually inappropriate behaviour on the part of Mr Salmond until a media enquiry from Sky News was made in November 2017. | She told the committee that she was not aware of any allegations or concerns about sexually inappropriate behaviour on the part of Mr Salmond until a media enquiry from Sky News was made in November 2017. |
| Ms Sturgeon also insisted that details of the allegations against Mr Salmond that were leaked to the Daily Record newspaper - which broke the story in August 2018 - had not come from her or from anyone acting on her authority or instruction. | |