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Five questions Nicola Sturgeon needs to answer

Nicola Sturgeon (photo: Getty)

After the government published emails showing it continued a doomed legal fight with Alex Salmond despite warnings from their own lawyers that they would likely lose, Nicola Sturgeon is facing calls to resign. While the Scottish Conservatives are calling for a no-confidence vote in the First Minister, an SNP spokesperson has hit back – saying it is ‘utterly irresponsible’ to do so before hearing a single word of evidence from Sturgeon who is due to give evidence to a Holyrood inquiry looking into her government’s 2018 harassment investigation of Salmond.

So, with Sturgeon’s job on the line, what does the First Minister need to say in order to cling on? Mr S has compiled a list of the questions Sturgeon must answer:

1. What was Sturgeon told in her March 2018 meeting with Geoff Aberdein?

    Sturgeon says she found out about allegations made against Salmond in April 2018. If so, what went on in the secret meeting that took place in her office in March 2018 with Alex Salmond’s former chief of staff, Geoff Aberdein? They said they discussed ‘allegations of a sexual nature’. But she then claimed to have forgotten about the meeting – saying it ‘never held any significance’ – with Sturgeon omitting the meeting from statements and answers in the Scottish Parliament. If this was the first time Sturgeon had heard the claims, wouldn’t it count as memorable?

    2. What did Sturgeon know before the secret meeting?

      The First Minister claims the meeting with Aberdein was ‘fleeting’ and happened because he was visiting a colleague and popped in to see her. However, Salmond has given evidence suggesting the meeting was pre-arranged and he knew of it the day before it happened. If so, why is there no record of a meeting in her office discussing a government investigation? Or, did she know about it before the meeting?

      3.

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      Steerpike
      Written by
      Steerpike

      Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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