Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was cleared of breaking the ministerial code after an inquiry linked to her government’s handling of sexual harassment claims against her predecessor.
James Hamilton, a former head of Ireland’s public prosecutions, found she didn’t breach the guidelines on conduct regarding her recording of meetings with former First Minister Alex Salmond. He also dismissed allegations she attempted to influence an investigation and that she misled parliament.
The publication of the report is the latest twist in the political drama that will also see Sturgeon face a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday, one she’s expected to survive. It all comes just before parliament breaks for a crucial election whose outcome could influence the future of the U.K. Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party is seeking a majority of seats to reinforce its push for another referendum on independence.
Had Hamilton’s conclusions gone the other way, the repercussions could have been huge as pressure would have increased on her to resign. Sturgeon is one of Britain’s most popular politicians and a key adversary of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Since taking over the leadership in 2014, she has been the public face of the drive for independence, opposition to Brexit and won support for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The spat has dominated politics in recent weeks. Polls showed a slip in support for the SNP, albeit with the party still scoring a big victory over Johnson’s Conservatives, who oppose another referendum on independence.
Tuesday’s motion of no confidence in Sturgeon was put forward by the Conservatives but they don’t have the numbers. The Green Party, which typically supports the SNP in parliament, said its lawmakers won’t support the motion following Hamilton’s report.
Salmond was acquitted by a court last year of sexual assault against women. A judge earlier had ruled that the way the Scottish government had investigated the claims had been unlawful.
That then led to two inquiries, one by a cross-party committee of lawmakers into the government’s handling of harassment complaints against Salmond and the one by Hamilton. The latter looked into whether Sturgeon broke the ministerial code –- whether she misled parliament over what she knew and when — and was always going to be the more critical to her future.
That became more apparent after the parliamentary committee’s inquiry was discredited by Sturgeon and her party after what they called “partisan leaks” to the media last week. Sturgeon said she stood by all eight hours of evidence she gave to the inquiry and wasn’t surprised by the findings that emerged via U.K. media. The report is due to be published on Tuesday.
Sturgeon has been first minister and leader of the SNP since taking over from Salmond following an independence referendum in 2014, the campaign for which they fronted. Voters opted to remain in the U.K. by 55% to 45%, though the SNP went on to become a formidable political machine.
Polls in recent months show there’s now majority support for calling time on the 3-centuries-old union with England and Wales, fueled by opposition to leaving the European Union and Sturgeon’s handling of the pandemic.
Just hours before Hamilton’s report was published, the Scottish government put forward its blueprint for another vote. It said it had brought the draft referendum bill forward so that voters could consider it before parliament breaks for its election campaign.
