Nicola Sturgeon ministerial probe must investigate Alex Salmond claims, say MSPs

An independent probe underway into Nicola Sturgeon must be “directed” to investigate fresh claims made by Alex Salmond about their meetings while he faced a harassment inquiry, MSPs have said.

Former Scottish National Party leader and former first minister Alex Salmond. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

The cross-party group have now written to Deputy First Minister John Swinney and the independent investigator who is looking into claims that Ms Sturgeon broke the ministerial code.

They say this probe must be formally widened to cover the controversial claims made by Mr Salmond on Friday.

Mr Swinney has branded the allegations against Ms Sturgeon “absolute nonsense” and said the probe by former Irish chief prosecutor James Hamilton QC is free to look at "any aspect" of ministerial breaches.

The First Minister has rejected claims from her predecessor last week that she misled MSPs over what she knew in advance about the nature of a meeting she had with Mr Salmond, while he was being investigated over harassment claims.

But Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs on a committee holding a separate Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Government's handling of the harassment claims against Mr Salmond have now intervened, demanding his allegations are looked at.

Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie sits on the Holyrood committee and has jointly written, along with Tory and Liberal Democrats MSPs, to both Mr Swinney and Mr Hamilton.

“We need to know whether the First Minister has breached the Ministerial Code as a matter of urgency," Ms Baillie said.

“No minister is above the code and the rules state explicitly that a minister who fails to follow the code must resign.”

Mr Hamilton’s probe is currently looking into claims that 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 MSPs want it widened to look more closely at when Ms Sturgeon first became aware of the claims against Mr Salmond.

The SNP leader told the Holyrood inquiry 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 Salmond’s former chief of staff four days beforehand and was informed then that claims against her predecessor had been made.

The First Minister said she had forgotten about that meeting.

Mr Salmond said on Friday this claim was untenable. He has also dismissed claims that Ms Sturgeon did not know what the meeting would be about, in a submission to Mr Hamilton, with Mr Salmond adding that his successor misled Parliament, amounting to a breach of the code.

The letter from the MSPs to Mr Hamilton todayquestions whether he is free to expand his inquiry, as Mr Swinney indicated yesterday, to cover any breaches of the code.

"We would be grateful if you could clarify whether this is the case as you see it and, if so, whether you will now expand your investigation in the way we have asked," the letter states.

The letter to Mr Swinney also calls on him to formally expand the remit of Mr Hamilton's inquiry "by directive", if the former prosecutor believes he does not have the power to do so.

Tory Murdo Fraser, another MSP who also sits on the Holyrood committee, said: "In light of the latest allegations from the former first minister, he [Mr Swinney] must give that directive urgently.

“Only then will we get to the bottom of exactly what Nicola Sturgeon knew about the accusations against her predecessor."

And Lib Dem committee member Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "We believe it to be of paramount importance to the national interest that the facts of the matter are established.

"If the First Minister has been honest with Parliament, she has nothing to fear from widening this probe and everything to gain in putting the matter to rest."

But Mr Swinney said on Sunday he had agreed to a widened remit for the inquiry months ago.

The Deputy First Minister told BBC Politics Scotland on Sunday: "I'm really surprised by the line of argument from Alex Salmond and the Scottish Conservatives because it appears that they're not keeping up with events.

"I answered a Parliamentary question in November, which made clear that the James Hamilton inquiry on the ministerial code could look at any aspect of a potential breach of the ministerial code.

"So what is being demanded by Alex Salmond and the Scottish Conservatives was put in place by me in a Parliamentary answer in November.

"So I have absolutely no idea why on earth they are going on about it today."

Ms Sturgeon has rejected the suggestions put forward by Mr Salmond in his evidence.

These also included claims that she allowed the Scottish Government to contest a civil court case against him despite having had legal advice that it was likely to collapse.

Mr Swinney said: "The First Minister will set out clearly and openly and transparently all that she's got to say on this issue and I'm confident in the points that the First Minister will put across.

"The First Minister looks forward to the opportunity to set out in detail all of the views and perspectives that she has on this issue to address some of the absolute nonsense that has been circulating about this particular issue.

"You've got to remember that we faced a difficult situation of having to investigate complaints about inappropriate behaviour, a lot of which have now been conceded by Alex Salmond in court, and that issue had to be addressed."

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