Former special adviser to Sturgeon and Salmond warns of 'murky going-ons' jeopardising FM's position

Nicola Sturgeon’s position as First Minister is being “jeopardised” by “murky goings-on” around the Scottish Government’s handling of the alleged harassment complaints against Alex Salmond, a former special adviser to both first ministers has said.
Alex Salmond won a judicial review against the Scottish Government over its handling of an inquiry into claims of sexual harassment made against him.Alex Salmond won a judicial review against the Scottish Government over its handling of an inquiry into claims of sexual harassment made against him.
Alex Salmond won a judicial review against the Scottish Government over its handling of an inquiry into claims of sexual harassment made against him.

Campbell Gunn, writing for the Press and Journal, has advised the Scottish Government to get all of the information surrounding the procedure and the subsequent judicial review “into the open immediately” to stop further damage to the First Minister.

MSPs in Holyrood are leading a parliamentary inquiry into the Scottish Government’s handling of harassment complaints against Mr Salmond, which led to him launching legal action in the Court of Session.

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The Scottish Government eventually conceded the case due to the complaints process being “tainted with apparent bias”, costing taxpayers more than £500,000 in legal fees and costs.

Mr Salmond was later charged with multiple counts of sexual offences before a trial in Edinburgh saw him acquitted of all charges earlier this year.

Mr Gunn, who served under both Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon as a special adviser, has said the potential dangers of a “cover-up” are clear.

He advised the Scottish Government to “take the short-term hit for long-term gain” and said if that meant people were forced to resign or be sacked “then surely that’s what has to happen” to avoid the “drip-drip of allegations”.

Mr Gunn said: “No-one wants to see Scotland head for independence more than me. And I firmly believe that Nicola Sturgeon is, by a distance, the best person to lead us to that goal.

“But her position is being jeopardised by the almost daily allegations that there were murky goings-on behind the scenes that led to the sexual harassment and criminal charges being laid against Alex Salmond.”

Mr Gunn criticised the way witnesses at the Holyrood inquiry had performed so far, labelling the responses from deputy first minister John Swinney and Lord Advocate James Wolffe to the committee after it had asked for more information as “hardly ringing endorsements of open and transparent government”.

He said: “Continued leaks, along with information that has the appearance of being unwillingly dragged out of the Scottish Government, do not help.

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“Far better to give the parliamentary committee all the documents, emails and messages currently being withheld and allow it to get on with doing its job.

“Whether that is done by a decision from the Scottish Government, the Crown Office or the courts doesn’t matter.

“Any other course can only encourage the impression, already widely held, that they have something to hide.”

Mr Gunn said the danger for the Scottish Government is the ramifications of emerging revelations could “continue for months”, with Covid potentially, by then, out of the mind of media and people’s focus back on the inquiry.

He said: “The solution for the Scottish Government is clear. Don’t cover up. Get everything out in the open.

“Take the inevitable media hit. It will last only a few days or a couple of weeks, instead of months.

“If the revelations result in one or two people losing their jobs, that must surely be a political price worth paying.”

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