Nicola Sturgeon is perfectly entitled to insist she has done nothing wrong in the SNP fraud probe and ask for her presumption of innocence to be respected.
The former First Minister might hope to stay as an SNP MSP for the time being as her successor Humza Yousaf appears completely unable or unwilling to suspend her.
While some of her colleagues are happy to send her a bouquet of flowers after her traumatic seven hours in a police station others are stepping up to call out her hypocrisy.
Today we reveal that the then SNP leader choreographed a plan to force former Edinburgh West MP Michelle Thomson out of the party when she faced allegations of wrongdoing.
Her husband Peter Murrell sent two aides to Thomson’s constituency office where she was bullied and coerced into signing a resignation statement minutes before it was announced to the press.
Thomson, harassed by her bosses was then cast aside by her own party. Nicola Sturgeon would be the first to condemn this hypocritical and inappropriate treatment if it took place in any other party or in any other workplace.
Yet she was the happy to dish it out to her own colleague and then balk at those who have suggested in the last week that she should face the same treatment.
Once again Humza Yousaf is being overshadowed by the agenda of his predecessor. He must take control of this farce or face weeks of awkward questions and damaging headlines for his party.
Voters are dealt rough justice
To see the Crown Office describing some of its own challenges as high risk should raise alarm bells for anyone who cares about justice.
Not only does the prosecutor make sure criminals are put behind bars but it investigates tragedies and makes recommendations for change.
Citizens rightly deserve a thorough service from prosecutors and shouldn’t have to wait inhumane lengths of time for a trial or fatal accident inquiry to start. We are already seeing delays causing even more anguish for victims of crime.
These issues are only to get worse if prosecutors don’t have the levels of investment they need. As with the police force, the Crown Office needs enough money to maintain the level of service the public not only deserve but are legally entitled to.
While the Government is happy to spend money on developing failed recycling schemes or ferry contracts which are never fulfilled, our vital public services are struggling to function at a basic level.
Ministers should take a look at what they are spending taxpayers’ cash on as it looks like their priorities are all wrong.
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