“Infamy, infamy they’ve all got it in for me”…
At First Minister’s Questions yesterday afternoon, Nicola Sturgeon refused to pledge to resign if she was found to have breached the ministerial code. Asked by new Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar in his first FMQ outing as head of his party whether she agreed that “any minister who is found in breach” of the code should resign, Sturgeon refused to agree, merely saying MSPs could “debate in this chamber” what her punishment should be if found to have breached the code:
“Let’s wait and see what the outcome of the inquiries are, they will be published and then we can debate in this chamber the outcome of that”
The Scottish Parliament’s Ministerial Code, however, says “Ministers who knowingly mislead the Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the First Minister”. If Sturgeon’s sanction were merely put to a vote in the Scottish Parliament, she could stay in post provided the SNP won the Scottish Greens over. Another day in a banana republic without the bananas…
Ahead of Sturgeon’s appearance before the Salmond enquiry this morning, Nicola’s sister has been loyally pleading for the First Minister. She accuses those who question her account – or call for her to resign over lying to the Scottish Parliament – of “bullying” her, comparing Sturgeon to Princess Diana and Mary Queen of Scots. Presumably if she does now resign, Elton John will have to rework Candle in the Wind to ‘Goodbye Scotland’s Thistle’…
Gillian Sturgeon posted on Facebook last night:
“Words damage. Actions hurt. Bullying kills.
“At no time is bullying ok at any age and within any organisation…
“Princess Diana. Mary Queen of Scots. Anyone threatening the high and mighty establishment is subject to this kind of behaviour.”
According to Gillian, her family were “in bits” last night after the Scottish Tories sensationally called time on the saga and finally said the first minister must resign over the new evidence that came to light. Sturgeon’s sister continued:
“The man that helped her reach her dream has helped destroy her.
“I hope he can sleep at night and all his unionst chums”
Guido presumes unionists had a hard time sleeping last night given the anticipation of seeing Sturgeon up before the harassment committee at 9am…
The Scottish Tories are now going to submit a motion of no confidence in Nicola Sturgeon after further documents were published this evening, one of which shows the Scottish government’s own lawyers expressing “dismay” in their behaviour. Another expressed “extreme professional embarrassment” in the Scottish government trying to oppose Alex Salmond’s judicial review. Scottish Tory Leader Douglas Ross has just Tweeted:
There is no longer any doubt that Nicola Sturgeon lied to the Scottish Parliament and broke the Ministerial Code.
— Douglas Ross MP (@Douglas4Moray) March 2, 2021
She must resign. No evidence she can provide will counter the claims of witnesses or refute that ignoring the legal advice cost £500,000 of taxpayers’ money.
This is a massive ramping up of pressure by the Tories. Until now they were merely threatening a vote of no confidence in the deputy first minister John Swinney – something that yesterday all opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament backed…
