Sturgeon -v- Salmond. This is going to be very interesting. Is the SNP finished? And what impact on the Scots regarding Indy2? ?

Yes Urmstongran ... Murrells accounts certainly shifted about.

I watched the programme too. Why has Alex Salmond been stopped giving some of the evidence? How can that be legal?

Salmond has backed up everything he's said. Let's wait for the info from his lawyers. What a mess all round though. Awful that this is happening at all but I suppose it's good that it's out in the open (probably) at last.

Yes big mess. Interesting to find out about the backup!

Dare say we’ll all be back on here next Wednesday!
Ta ta for now.
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Iam64

Alegrias1

What Nicola said: “The behaviour complained of was found by a jury not to constitute criminal conduct and Alex Salmond is innocent of criminality, but that doesn’t mean that the behaviour they complained of didn’t happen and I think it’s important that we don’t lose sight of that.”

Information about the court case from the BBC website:
Mr Salmond admitted to having a "sleepy cuddle" with one complainer, and what Mr Jackson (lawyer) called "a bit of how's your father" with another - both members of his staff far younger than he, and neither of them his wife.

The defence also never really attempted to dispel the slightly raucous image of Bute House drawn by the prosecution, of exotic liquors being poured late at night after celebrity dinners and staff being invited to do paperwork in the bedroom.

In other words, what Alex may or may not have done wasn't illegal. Doesn't mean he didn't do it.

Nicola Sturgeon is of course correct in the quote above.
Salmon wants to destroy her.

And who can blame him. She was quite happy for him to go to prison for something he didn’t do. A kiss and a cuddle but Prison.....

The whole thing stinks from top to bottom.

Well Nicola Sturgeon’s answers are all “correct me if I’m wrong” and “to the best of my knowledge, I'm not 100% sure, if I remember correctly, I will have to check my records”.

She's looking very uncomfortable.

Apparently her PR team chose Budget Day for her appearance in front of the committee.

Not a fan of either, but NS looks decidedly shifty, no definite answers to anything, why is she so unsure of anything, not as if she didn’t know what questions they would ask, very odd. Her body language speaks volumes, think she chose Budget Day to deflect. If indeed AS was sewn up like a kipper that’s bad, everyone says how he mentored and encouraged her, working so close how could she doubt him. You couldn’t write a better plot really.

Apparently her PR team chose Budget Day for her appearance in front of the committee.

No they didn't, how ridiculous. There's been lots of accusations that various events were timed to coincide with others, and here's another. NS has been prepared to appear before this committee for several weeks, but it kept being postponed. I think you'll find her "PR team" have less power than you think they do.

She didn't choose Budget Day. Unless she's got the same super-powerful PR Team as MM and they decide which days are the best for their clients for all broadcasts?

She looks uncomfortable and decidedly shifty. Can’t quite remember, so shocked by what she’d heard she couldn’t concentrate - what?

Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the SNP is married to Peter Murrell, chief executive of the SNP, but, if we are to believe her account, she didn't tell him about devastating events which threaten to rock their party. What a strange marriage!

I agree that is very difficult to believe. And the fact that the leader and the chief executive are married was only ever going to end in a big mess.

I think NS will survive intact.
Mind you it’s not over yet. More people under oath still to come before the committee.

I suspect that 99.9% of SNP supporters will ditch Alec Salmond and rally behind NS. They are very tribal and survival of the party is number one.

I think it depends what you mean by 99.9 varian? I’ve been watching this afternoon, and it seems that there is more to be uncovered yet. This situation can’t be helpful to the credibility of the party in terms of the floating voters, who have respected NS for her handling of the pandemic, but aren’t the core support for the party. The core support may well remain loyal, but that may not translate into the landslide victory and vote for independence that the SNP have been working so hard for, and whatever the outcome the reputations of the protagonists are both damaged. I’ve learned a lot, but still on the fence about the ultimate outcome.

Hard to be sure what the outcome will be. She's certainly been caught out a lot which isn't great. I gather that even now there are even more papers which have been withheld. Why?
This committee is looking at the failed judicial review. The Hamilton review is looking to see if she has broken the ministerial code.
If nothing else she has stamina facing these very testing probes. The pity of it is, is that it has to happen at all.
Jackie Baillie is a revelation. I wish we had someone like her as FM. Respect!

I don’t think we are much further forward in understanding Nicola Sturgeon ‘s part in all of this . She seemed to evade every difficult question in the bits I saw and she was definitely waffling on .. I can’t remember/ I can’t recall . She seemed to lose her powers of recollection when it suited her. . It is unsure what the outcome will be . @ Aveline ... agree with your opinion of Jackie Baillie !

SNP party membership rose by 10% this afternoon .We stand WITH Nicola but in the event she decides to resign and I really doubt that will happen the Independence movement will keep going until we get our country back .
This one sentence says what we need to hear,there wont be cronyism in the Scottish government like there is in WM

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."

This one sentence says what we need to hear,there wont be cronyism in the Scottish government like there is in WM

Have you listened to or read anything at all about the complaints made against the SNP?
Thought not. What a stupid remark.

She claims to have forgotten that Geoff Aberdein told her that Alex Salmond might be on the point of resigning “my recollection is not as vivid as I would like it to be” funny the things she couldn’t remember. She also claims not to have discussed it with her husband and if you believe that......

Selective amnesia?

People are pretty sick of her unnecessary daily briefings so some bright spark drew up this.

I’m not sick of them.

Aveline

People are pretty sick of her unnecessary daily briefings so some bright spark drew up this.

Not all of us are sick of her daily briefing and I'm not a Nicola Sturgeon supporter. As a shielder, I like to hear what's going on

I feel for those poor woman, who accused Alex Salmond. It took a lot of courage to report him, they have been forgotten in all this.

I'm not sick of the briefings either. I don't think either side come out of this mess covered in glory. But I have appreciated her clarity each day.