Scottish leader fights back in row with ex-mentor that threatens independence drive

[webfact]

Scottish leader fights back in row with ex-mentor that threatens independence drive

By Elizabeth Piper and Estelle Shirbon

 

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon holds documents as she gives evidence to a Scottish Parliament committee examining the handling of harassment allegations against former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain March 3, 2021. Jeff J Mitchell/Pool via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday defended her handling of sexual harassment complaints against her predecessor Alex Salmond in high-stakes testimony on an issue that threatens to scupper her dream of leading Scotland to independence.

 

Describing the feud with Salmond as "one of the most invidious political and personal situations" she had ever faced, Sturgeon denied Salmond's accusations that she had plotted against him and misled the Scottish parliament.

 

The feud between the pair, once close friends and powerful allies in the cause of Scottish independence, has reached fever pitch in recent weeks, threatening the electoral prospects of the Scottish National Party (SNP) at a crucial time.

 

With Scottish elections coming up in May, Sturgeon believes a strong showing for her party would give her a mandate to demand a second referendum on independence, after one in 2014 in which Scots voted by 55% to 45% to stay in the United Kingdom.

 

With Britain's exit from the European Union boosting pro-independence sentiment in Scotland, where a majority voted against Brexit, a series of opinion polls have suggested the SNP could well win a second independence referendum.

 

But a relentless torrent of negative and sometimes lurid headlines about the Sturgeon-Salmond row could deprive her of the emphatic win she needs to overcome resistance by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who opposes a referendum.

 

In highly anticipated testimony to an inquiry into how she and her government handled the sexual harassment claims against Salmond, which he denies, Sturgeon denied any improper behaviour, saying she had "searched her soul" many times.

 

 

A feud between Scottish leaders past and present is threatening the possibility of Scottish independence. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been defending how she has handled her predecessor's sexual assault case. Adam Reed reports.

 

"In one of the most invidious political and personal situations I have ever faced, I believe I acted properly and appropriately, and overall, I made the best judgments I could," she told lawmakers.

 

"For anyone, at least anyone willing to listen with an open mind, that is what I will seek to demonstrate today," she said, before beginning a detailed defence of her individual decisions, expected to last most of the day.

 

ME TOO

In his own explosive testimony on Friday, Salmond accused Sturgeon in taking part in a malicious plot to drive him out of public life, and of breaking the ministerial code, a set of rules on how ministers should behave, in the process.

 

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has also accused Sturgeon of lying and has called for a vote of no confidence against her.

 

Denying that she had broken the code, a transgression that would normally lead to a resignation, Sturgeon hit back hard, rejecting Salmond's talk of a plot as absurd and linking the saga to the broader context of the "me too" movement.

 

"As first minister, I refused to follow the age-old pattern of allowing a powerful man to use his status and connections to get what he wants," she said, accusing Salmond of having asked her to intervene in his favour after women complained about him.

 

She said he had failed to recognise how difficult the situation was "first and foremost for women who believed his behaviour towards them was inappropriate, but also for those of us who have campaigned with him, worked with him, cared for him and considered him a friend, and who now stand unfairly accused of plotting against him".

 

Salmond stood trial on charges of sexual assault and was acquitted last year.

 

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-04

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Rookiescot]

They need to investigate further the role Leslie Evans has had in all this.

[RuamRudy]

But all accounts, she seems to have come across pretty well. It's sad, of course, that this has to happen but she seems to have won the day. 

 

A point I see expressed a lot on social media is how relatively open and transparent the process is. A frequent comment is that Johnson would never face such intense and direct scrutiny for 5 minutes let alone 8 hours. 

 

There are no winners here, but she hasn't lost in the way the yoons hoped she would. 

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, Rookiescot said:

They need to investigate further the role Leslie Evans has had in all this.

 

Don't worry, I'm sure Sturgeon and her gang of liars are already searching high and low for a scapegoat to throw under the bus in order to save her skin. 

 

Leslie Evans might well be the sacrificial lamb. I mean, she's not really helped herself by claiming she destroys meeting notes immediately after the meeting (which raises the obvious question, why bother taking the notes).

 

It might be time for the SNP to stop digging themselves deeper and deeper and just remove Sturgeon, she's damaged goods now. Her performance yesterday was embarrassing for all concerned. Rather than make the whole lot of them look like shysters and bring down the whole party it might be best for her to own up to her role in all this and leave politics.

[BobBKK]

She was appalling. It is obvious she is covering up and 'forgetting' information. She did not address why her team handed diary pages which were blank. She wanted the TOP JOB and she let that cloud her judgement. Samond was found innocent and she is... after all a politician married to the SNP CEO. I watched hours of it and she squirmed and lied. Her team tried to crucify Salmond and then she covered it up.

[JonnyF]

4 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

But all accounts, she seems to have come across pretty well. It's sad, of course, that this has to happen but she seems to have won the day. 

 

A point I see expressed a lot on social media is how relatively open and transparent the process is. A frequent comment is that Johnson would never face such intense and direct scrutiny for 5 minutes let alone 8 hours. 

 

There are no winners here, but she hasn't lost in the way the yoons hoped she would. 

 

Come across well? I take it you didn't see it then. She reminded me of a 4 year old kid with his face smeared in chocolate denying he ate the Cookies.

 

The only thing transparent were Sturgeon's lies. She's lost all credibility for anyone with a modicum of intelligence.

 

Nice attempt to deflect to Johnson BTW, but let's stay on topic for once.

[BobBKK]

Just now, JonnyF said:

 

Come across well? I take it you didn't see it then. She reminded me of a 4 year old kid with his face smeared in chocolate denying he ate the Cookies.

 

The only thing transparent were Sturgeon's lies. She's lost all credibility for anyone with a modicum of intelligence.

 

Nice attempt to deflect to Johnson BTW, but let's stay on topic for once.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you - the deflect about Johnson is OFF TOPIC and a cheap practise that happens too much on here. She broke the Ministerial Code, fought to take the top job and lied about meetings.

I watched it, I saw it and how anyone can come to any other conclusion is beyond me.

[RuamRudy]

13 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Come across well? I take it you didn't see it then. She reminded me of a 4 year old kid with his face smeared in chocolate denying he ate the Cookies.

 

The only thing transparent were Sturgeon's lies. She's lost all credibility for anyone with a modicum of intelligence.

 

Nice attempt to deflect to Johnson BTW, but let's stay on topic for once.

 

If she was as bad as you say, I guess we will find out soon enough.

 

Comparison is not deflection, nor am I responsible for the comparison that many people seem to be making. Nor will I be responsible for the conclusions they draw - a woman who actually stands up to scrutiny. 

[BobBKK]

17 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

If she was as bad as you say, I guess we will find out soon enough.

 

Comparison is not deflection, nor am I responsible for the comparison that many people seem to be making. Nor will I be responsible for the conclusions they draw - a woman who actually stands up to scrutiny. 

 

 A social media friend of mine said she did better than Trump, and another social media friend said Putin could not take that questioning. I am not responsible for my social media friends I just quote them to make my political points!

On a more serious note the people who are supposed to scrutinize work FOR the government. She wanted power it's plain and simple and stabbed her innocent friend in the back (but she's searched her soul about it LOL).

[vogie]

So the convenor of the enquiry Fabiani is an SNP mp and a friend of NS, she came to the rescue of Sturgeon when she was againgst the ropes being pressed by Baillie. Has NS always had these memory lapses, "I cannot recall, not to my recollection, I don't know" 

There was so much evidence missing, it stinks to high heaven. 

 

 

 

[RuamRudy]

8 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

 

 A social media friend of mine said she did better than Trump, and another social media friend said Putin could not take that questioning. I am not responsible for my social media friends I just quote them to make my political points!

On a more serious note the people who are supposed to scrutinize work FOR the government. She wanted power it's plain and simple and stabbed her innocent friend in the back (but she's searched her soul about it LOL).

 

Birds of a feather and all that - my social media acquaintances are mixed between a tremendous performance under immense pressure, and ones more like your friends' views. 

 

The #istandwithnicola hashtag is definitely trending on twitter and I am seeing post after post of people stating that they have joined the SNP on the back of her performance. 

 

I suspect that the tories calling for a vote of no confidence in her before she even spoke to the committee was a major tactical error on their part. As we say in Scotland, they are getting pelters for it. 

[donnacha]

Her instincts were wrong. She made the mistake of thinking that the Twitter mob were her audience and that his innocence didn't matter. In the real world, however, voters recognise gross disloyalty when they see it. Her attempts to distance herself from him in his moment of need were true cowardice.

Scotland is not America.

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by donnacha

[BobBKK]

4 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

Birds of a feather and all that - my social media acquaintances are mixed between a tremendous performance under immense pressure, and ones more like your friends' views. 

 

The #istandwithnicola hashtag is definitely trending on twitter and I am seeing post after post of people stating that they have joined the SNP on the back of her performance. 

 

I suspect that the tories calling for a vote of no confidence in her before she even spoke to the committee was a major tactical error on their part. As we say in Scotland, they are getting pelters for it. 

 

Both Tories and Labour and just about everyone can see this for what it is - a whitewash. NS is clear on everything that helps her and 'cannot recall' anything that might harm her.

They were advised they would LOSE yet carried on to pelt an innocent man and paid him 500,000. But she got what she wanted didn't she... his job.

Worst of all the convenor is an SNP stooge and her friends have withheld evidence. She wont take responsibility for this clown show yet claims she is 'ethical'. Read Andrew Neils piece?

[RuamRudy]

3 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

 

Both Tories and Labour and just about everyone can see this for what it is - a whitewash. NS is clear on everything that helps her and 'cannot recall' anything that might harm her.

They were advised they would LOSE yet carried on to pelt an innocent man and paid him 500,000. But she got what she wanted didn't she... his job.

Worst of all the convenor is an SNP stooge and her friends have withheld evidence. She wont take responsibility for this clown show yet claims she is 'ethical'. Read Andrew Neils piece?

 

She already had his job - he had lost his seat and was not a threat. But time will tell whether she is damaged by this. 

 

You may call it a clown show and you may not like comparison, but I am sure that the vast majority of Scottish voters ARE comparing this process with the events in Westminster and the absolute avoidance of scrutiny of anyone in the UK Government and drawing their own conclusions. 

[RuamRudy]

17 minutes ago, vogie said:

So the convenor of the enquiry Fabiani is an SNP mp and a friend of NS, she came to the rescue of Sturgeon when she was againgst the ropes being pressed by Baillie. Has NS always had these memory lapses, "I cannot recall, not to my recollection, I don't know" 

There was so much evidence missing, it stinks to high heaven. 

 

 

 

 

The committee is made up of a representative number of MSPs from all parties. If the tories weren't so despised in Scotland, they would have more seats. Its as simple as that. 

 

Or would you rather a fully non

-SNP kangaroo court to 'try' her? 

[BobBKK]

2 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

She already had his job - he had lost his seat and was not a threat. But time will tell whether she is damaged by this. 

 

You may call it a clown show and you may not like comparison, but I am sure that the vast majority of Scottish voters ARE comparing this process with the events in Westminster and the absolute avoidance of scrutiny of anyone in the UK Government and drawing their own conclusions. 

 

You mean in the UK a Party CEO can be married to the PM without anyone thinking about a conflict of interest?  "oh I never told my husband"?  really???

[RuamRudy]

2 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

 

You mean in the UK a Party CEO can be married to the PM without anyone thinking about a conflict of interest?  "oh I never told my husband"?  really???

 

How would that be a conflict of interest? Is it illegal? If so, I imagine much would be made of it before now. 

 

The fact that johnson's latest mistress is running the 'save the union' effort sounds even worse to me. How many other of his favourite concubines and prostitutes does he give key government roles to? 

 

But we digress... 

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, BobBKK said:

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you - the deflect about Johnson is OFF TOPIC and a cheap practise that happens too much on here. She broke the Ministerial Code, fought to take the top job and lied about meetings.

I watched it, I saw it and how anyone can come to any other conclusion is beyond me.

Obviously you think not guilty equates to innocence.

Why not hang NS on technicalities and misinterpretation, but let Salmond off the hook.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/03/12/salmond-apologised-to-civil-servant-after-sexual-assault-court-told/

[vogie]

6 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

The committee is made up of a representative number of MSPs from all parties. If the tories weren't so despised in Scotland, they would have more seats. Its as simple as that. 

 

Or would you rather a fully non

-SNP kangaroo court to 'try' her? 

Let's just say it might be nicer and indeed fairer to have less partisan involvement on a case as important as this.

But I'm sure many nationalists would like to see only Mr Murrell chairing the enquiry.

[sandyf]

8 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

 

You mean in the UK a Party CEO can be married to the PM without anyone thinking about a conflict of interest?  "oh I never told my husband"?  really???

Selective memory, what about Mark Thatcher.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mark-thatcher-files-stay-secret-to-spare-blushes-on-arms-deal-93vbpjxv0

[NanLaew]

42 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

The #istandwithnicola hashtag is definitely trending on twitter and I am seeing post after post of people stating that they have joined the SNP on the back of her performance. 

 

I did not know that lemmings were indigenous to Alba.

 

[RuamRudy]

23 minutes ago, vogie said:

Let's just say it might be nicer and indeed fairer to have less partisan involvement on a case as important as this.

 

 

Every single member of the committee was partisan in some way. I struggle to see how you could avoid that. How do you suggest?

 

24 minutes ago, vogie said:

But I'm sure many nationalists would like to see only Mr Murrell chairing the enquiry.

 

Possibly, and by the same token some unionist would probably want it chaired by Torquemada, so I am not sure what your point is there. 

[Rookiescot]

By the looks of things this is just going to fizzle out like a damp firework.

The people living in Scotland will have the opportunity to make their views known come the Holyrood elections in May.

I suspect the Brexiteers/English/British nationalists are going to be disappointed despite the faux outrage being at critical levels on here. 

[NanLaew]

38 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

She already had his job - he had lost his seat and was not a threat. But time will tell whether she is damaged by this. 

 

I recall reading that Salmond is one of the longest serving parliamentarians in the UK. Granted he's been spinning his wheels a wee bit since his electoral loss but in my opinion, to suggest this archetypal political animal is not a threat is a bit misguided. In my mind they are both sleeckit craturs but Salmond is the master and Sturgeon's only the apprentice.

[RuamRudy]

8 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

By the looks of things this is just going to fizzle out like a damp firework.

The people living in Scotland will have the opportunity to make their views known come the Holyrood elections in May.

I suspect the Brexiteers/English/British nationalists are going to be disappointed despite the faux outrage being at critical levels on here. 

 

The Nasty Party threw everything they had at this and, by all accounts, they blew it. 

 

Election pamphlets are being delivered at the moment. Many people are noticing that the SNP pamphlets contain many policy proposals and growth objectives; the Tories' only promise seems to be 'vote for us and we will get rid of the SNP'. I wonder can they devise any new policies in the next 8 weeks.

[Rookiescot]

1 minute ago, RuamRudy said:

 

The Nasty Party threw everything they had at this and, by all accounts, they blew it. 

 

Election pamphlets are being delivered at the moment. Many people are noticing that the SNP pamphlets contain many policy proposals and growth objectives; the Tories' only promise seems to be 'vote for us and we will get rid of the SNP'. I wonder can they devise any new policies in the next 8 weeks.

 

Somewhat sinister.

Are they proposing to make the SNP illegal?

[JonnyF]

28 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

The people living in Scotland will have the opportunity to make their views known come the Holyrood elections in May.

Indeed they will (unless Sturgeon uses Covid as an excuse to delay them), and I suspect many of them will have nothing but distain for the way Scottish politics has descended into the gutter.

 

Unlike the usual suspects on here who are quite happy for their leader to be exposed as a liar who uses public money to try to get their innocent political opponents jailed for sex crimes, as long as it gets Scotland away from decisions being made by the English, sorry I mean Westminster.

[jayboy]

2 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

 

If she was as bad as you say, I guess we will find out soon enough.

 

Comparison is not deflection, nor am I responsible for the comparison that many people seem to be making. Nor will I be responsible for the conclusions they draw - a woman who actually stands up to scrutiny. 

Comparisons need to be made but not the ones you make in your attempt to deflect.The most worrying one is that England it would be unthinkable for the Crown Prosecution Service to interfere with a House of Commons Inquiry in the disgraceful way that has occurred in the Scottish equivalents.Even admirers of Sturgeon, of which I am one, need to recognise something stinks in this business.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Obviously you think not guilty equates to innocence.

Why not hang NS on technicalities and misinterpretation, but let Salmond off the hook.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/03/12/salmond-apologised-to-civil-servant-after-sexual-assault-court-told/

 

On the day when Salmond met the press immediately after the allegations story first broke back in August 2018, he admitted that he was "no saint". From the testimony of some of the victims, it would appear he is a creepy groper and a boorish, sloppy drunk who 'tried it on' but because he was bladdered, probably can't remember much, hence his claims "I’ve not sexually harassed anyone."

 

I am not making excuses for him; he's a boorish prig in public and private life. The problem is that the claims of sexual assault and harassment were extremely likely to be legitimate but were undone by the SNP's inability to follow their own procedures. It is entirely up to the First Minister to fall on her sword, or not.

[NanLaew]

54 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

The Nasty Party threw everything they had at this and, by all accounts, they blew it. 

 

Election pamphlets are being delivered at the moment. Many people are noticing that the SNP pamphlets contain many policy proposals and growth objectives; the Tories' only promise seems to be 'vote for us and we will get rid of the SNP'. I wonder can they devise any new policies in the next 8 weeks.

 

Any word on what the Scottish Labour election pamphlets are saying?