Nicola Sturgeon is facing a moment of truth that could end her political career as early as today as a report is released into whether she broke the ministerial code in the Alex Salmond case.
The results of a probe by James Hamilton QC into the First Minister’s conduct could be revealed within hours, with her fate hanging in the balance.
Meanwhile, the verdict of a cross-party Holyrood committee is due to be published tomorrow – with leaks suggesting it has found she did break the rules.
The Scottish Tories are vowing to hold a vote of no confidence in Ms Sturgeon on Wednesday as she struggles to cling on, with signs the row is doing massive damage to the SNP’s drive to split up the UK.
The First Minister referred herself to the ministerial watchdog in January 2019 and asked Mr Hamilton to carry out an investigation after admitting she had met her predecessor to discuss claims of sexual harassment.
Separately a cross-party committee has been carrying out an inquiry into how the Scottish government bungled its handling of the complaints against Mr Salmond.
He was awarded more than £500,000 after bringing a judicial review, and later cleared at a trial.
Nicola Sturgeon’s career is in the balance as Scotland hears from two major inquiries into whether or not she broke the ministerial code
Ms Sturgeon’s conduct following sexual harassment claims against Alex Salmond (pictured giving evidence at Holyrood last month) could lead to a vote of no-confidence on Wednesday
The results of a probe by James Hamilton QC (pictured) into the First Minister’s conduct could be revealed within hours
An Opinium survey published last week found that 51 per cent of Scots believe Ms Sturgeon should resign if she is deemed to have broken the ministerial code, compared to 35 per cent who say she should stay in place
Leaks at the end of last week claimed that the Holyrood inquiry has concluded it is ‘hard to believe’ Ms Sturgeon did not know of concerns about Mr Salmond’s behaviour before November 2017.
The MSPs have also reportedly decided that she broke the ministerial code by misleading the committee, although it is not clear if they believe she did so knowingly.
Ms Sturgeon has brushed off the apparent finding, insisting she stands by ‘all eight hours’ of evidence she gave and accusing opposition members of playing politics.
The SNP leader also appeared to lash herself to the separate report from Mr Hamilton on whether she broke the ministerial code – which is expected to be delivered to the Scottish government today, although the timing of the release is not yet known.
Polls have shown that a majority of Scots believe Ms Sturgeon should quit if she is found to have flouted the conduct rules, with the controversy also inflicting huge damage on support for her drive to split up the UK.
Even if she fends off the resignation calls the row looks set to dominate the run-up to crucial elections in May.
A survey by Opinium last week found 51 per cent of Scots think she should resign if she is found to have breached the code.
In contrast 35 per cent insisted she should stay in post.
Sections from the bombshell committee report were leaked two weeks after Ms Sturgeon gave testimony about her role in the Scottish Government’s botched investigation into Mr Salmond in 2018.
Ms Sturgeon had insisted she did not offer to intervene in the complaints process against Mr Salmond during a meeting with him on April 2, 2018.
Yet by a slim majority verdict of 5-4, the committee, which voted down party lines, is believed to have decided this was in ‘fundamental contradiction’ to testimony from Mr Salmond.
They say Mr Salmond’s account was corroborated by his legal adviser, Duncan Hamilton QC, who told the inquiry that Ms Sturgeon said: ‘If it comes to it, I will intervene.’
The report concludes: ‘Her [Ms Sturgeon’s] written evidence is, therefore, an inaccurate account of what happened and she has misled the committee on this matter. This is a potential breach of the ministerial code’.
Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins told the BBC yesterday: ‘The evidence is not just clear but overwhelming that Nicola Sturgeon has misled Parliament on countless occasions… she needs to resign.’
Mr Salmond was cleared of sexual assault at trial.
He won a civil case against the Scottish Government, which was found to have been ‘tainted by apparent bias’ and ordered to pay his £512,000 legal bill.
The temperature rose again yesterday as a former colleague claimed Ms Sturgeon has been ‘brought low by arrogance and pettiness’.
Ms Sturgeon was described as a ‘hugely gifted politician’ by Dorothy-Grace Elder, a former MSP.
But writing in a Scottish newspaper, she said: ‘Excessive secrecy and resentment of others have harmed an SNP Government which could have been great.
‘What is mistaken for discipline is really fear. The party is riddled with dirty tricks. The Salmond saga is only part of it all.’
She wrote in the Sunday Mail that despite sharing an office with Ms Sturgeon for years, the future leader never spoke to her as she ‘ignored those who weren’t cronies’.
Dorothy-Grace Elder said Ms Sturgeon is a ‘hugely gifted politician brought low by arrogance and pettiness’
Women who made original harassment claims against Alex Salmond complain to Scottish parliament after their confidential evidence was leaked to the press
The women at the centre of the Salmond inquiry have said they will be making a formal complaint to the Scottish Parliament after their evidence was leaked to a newspaper.
In a statement released through Rape Crisis Scotland on Sunday, the two women who made complaints of harassment against former first minister Alex Salmond said they would be making a formal complaint over the leak.
A story in The Sunday Times claims the women, giving evidence in private last Monday, painted a picture of a demeaning environment for women, with one saying it was ‘like the Wild West’.
The statement said the leak was a breach of the MSP code of conduct, as well as ‘a violation of the trust we placed in the committee’, as well as raising concerns about the accuracy of the leak.
The two complainants hit out at whoever at Holyrood (pictured) committed the leak
It added: ‘The reporting of our evidence has included inaccuracies and distortions, which appear to be intended to serve a political agenda.
‘Complainers in this case have been subject to regular attacks and misrepresentations on social media, and have found their experiences repeatedly exploited for political purposes during the inquiry.
‘For committee members to perpetuate this is indefensible and an abuse of their position.
‘We will be making a formal complaint.’
