Scottish leader cleared of breaching ministerial code

LONDON

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been cleared of breaching the ministerial code of conduct over her dealings with her predecessor Alex Salmond, who is facing harassment allegations.

The Scottish leader was accused of deliberately misleading Holyrood on her knowledge of the sexual harassment allegations that were made against Salmond. Sturgeon had requested that James Hamilton QC, the government’s independent legal advisor, to investigate her actions.

Hamilton also investigated claims that Sturgeon failed to notify civil servants that she had met with Salmond to discuss the confidential inquiry undertaken by the government into the harassment complaints by two female civil servants against Salmond.

Further to her failure to inform civil servants, Sturgeon was also accused of failing to inform Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) that she had met with Salmond’s former chief of staff in her office where discussions were held on the issues of harassment that involved Salmon in 2018.


An inquiry launched by the Scottish parliament on Sturgeon’s actions is to be published on Tuesday and is expected to find the Scottish leader guilty of misleading parliament about her dealings with Salmond, but did so unknowingly, according to the daily.

The results of Hamilton’s two-year investigation are expected to save Sturgeon from a vote of no confidence that is to be submitted by the Scottish Conservatives on Tuesday as it will fail to win support from other opposition parties, it added.

Former First Minister Alex Salmond was accused of sexual harassment by two female civil servants. Salmond, however, won a legal challenge against the government’s inquiry into such complaints against him in 2019. Salmond won £512,000 ($710,000) in legal costs after his victory.