Alex Salmond inquiry: Nicola Sturgeon responds to his 'bombshell' claim for first time

Nicola Sturgeon has said she is not “distracted” by the allegations made by former first minister Alex Salmond and “did not consider” that she had misled Parliament.

Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond were close in the past.

Speaking for the first time since her predecessor claimed she had breached the ministerial code by misleading MSPs over what she knew in advance of a meeting she had with Mr Salmond while he was being investigated over harassment claims, Ms Sturgeon rejected the suggestion and said the Covid briefing was not the public forum to discuss the issue.

Challenged about the evidence given by Geoff Aberdein, Mr Salmond's former chief of staff, about a meeting with her on March 29, 2018, in which he said there had been discussion about the investigation into harassment claims against Mr Salmond, Ms Sturgeon was asked: “Who’s recollection of that meeting is correct – his or yours?”

The First Minister said as matters were “under investigation both by a parliamentary committee inquiry and by an independent adviser on matters relating to the ministerial code” she would “set out my recollection of events to both those, and people will draw their own conclusions”.

Ms Sturgeon added: “It’s very important that I answer any questions levelled to me before these inquiries and that I’m open to full scrutiny. I do not consider I misled Parliament, but that’s for others to judge.

“Right now the most important thing is to steer this country through the pandemic. This is a briefing on the pandemic and that’s what I’m going to focus on and not other matters.”

Asked why the daily briefing was not “an appropriate public forum to answer a matter of extreme public interest”, Ms Sturgeon added: “I don't refute the public interest or the importance of these matters, but this is an opportunity, and has been since March last year, for me to brief the country on Covid.

“There are other forums where I will answer publicly … there are inquiries underway and I think it's right and proper, out of respect to those inquiries and out of fairness to myself, to set out these matters properly and fully, and not do it as an adjunct to a briefing on a global pandemic I'm seeking to steer the country through … and that's more important than the position of any individual.”

Former Irish chief prosecutor James Hamilton QC is undertaking a probe into whether Ms Sturgeon breached the ministerial code over a delay in informing civil servants about meetings and phone contacts with Mr Salmond about harassment claims he faced.

The SNP leader has said she first heard of the allegations at a meeting with Mr Salmond at her home on April 2, 2018. It has since emerged she met Mr Aberdein four days beforehand and was informed then – a meeting she said she had forgotten.

However, last Friday, in what was described as “bombshell” evidence, Mr Salmond said this claim was untenable and that Ms Sturgeon had misled Parliament and breached the code.

Ms Sturgeon also rejected the suggestion she was “distracted” by the Alex Salmond inquiry.

“I’m not distracted, I’m focused 100 per cent on steering the country through the pandemic,” she said. “Other things will take their course and I will co-operate as I’ve a duty to do and will do so fully."

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