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Tag: alex salmond

  • Alex Salmond resigns from SNP: Observation in complete

    Alex Salmond has resigned from the SNP Symbol copyright PA Image caption Mr Salmond stated he supposed to apply to rejoin the SNP once he had an opportunity to transparent his name

    Alex Salmond, Scotland’s former first minister and ex-SNP leader, has resigned from the celebration following sexual misconduct claims, which he denies.

    He introduced he was once quitting in a video posted on social media on Wednesday evening.

    Here is his statement in full:

    “i have been a member of the Scottish National Party for 45 years, 20 of them as party leader and seven as First Minister of Scotland.

    “I Hope i have done the celebration and the broader explanation for independence a few carrier.

    Image copyright PA Image caption Alex Salmond campaigning for an SNP candidate in Edinburgh

    “However, I did not come into politics to facilitate competition attacks at the SNP and, with Parliament returning next week, i’ve tendered my resignation to take away this line of competition attack.

    “Such A Lot of all i’m aware that if the celebration felt compelled into suspending me it will cause substantial internal division.

    “In my letter to the Nationwide Secretary I state that it’s my absolute goal to reapply for SNP membership just as soon as i have had the opportunity to transparent my title. I Am Hoping that may be by means of the tip of this yr.

    “within the meantime i might urge nobody else to relinquish their SNP club.

    ‘i will carry on going’

    “My entire center of attention for the next few weeks is preparing for Judicial Evaluate, in opposition to the Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Executive, the preliminary ranges of which started the day prior to this.

    “My purpose is to safe equity as a result of that is essential to transparent my identify. i’m awfully grateful for the messages of enhance and encouragement i’ve won, including from other people of other political persuasions.

    “i can guarantee them all that i will carry on going.

    “the prices of a Judicial Overview within the best possible courtroom in the land are large. Many have asked how they are able to lend a hand in an instant. Due To This Fact i have established a crowd-funder to help with costs.

    “All sums received will give a contribution completely to progressing the Judicial Evaluate and any cash left over can be used to fortify good reasons in Scotland and beyond.

    “Finally, i will be able to proceed to serve the independence motion in no matter what function and whatever capacity i will be able to.

    “it’s a rare factor to be dedicated to a lead to more necessary than somebody, it’s a treasured thing to cherish it and my intention now – because it has always been -is to give protection to and sustain that lead to.”

  • Alex Salmond officially starts criminal motion against Scottish government

    Alex Salmond Symbol copyright Getty Photographs Image caption Mr Salmond instructed BBC Scotland final week that he had never sexually confused any person

    Alex Salmond has formally started his prison motion against the Scottish govt over its dealing with of sexual misconduct proceedings against him.

    Two people have made allegations concerning the former first minister, who strongly denies ever sexually harassing anyone.

    He is looking for a judicial review of a new lawsuits process that was once introduced by means of the Scottish executive in December.

    His petition has been lodged with the Courtroom of Consultation in Edinburgh.

    The court docket will now searching for a response from the Scottish executive. it’s more likely to be a few weeks prior to there’s a hearing prior to a judge.

    The proceedings about Mr Salmond had been made in January – just weeks after the brand new methods for coping with harassment court cases was once introduced with the blessing of his successor, Nicola Sturgeon.

    Salmond probe ‘entirely personal’ Sturgeon: Salmond court cases ‘could no longer be ignored’ Salmond denies sexual misconduct claims

    Ms Sturgeon had asked for the Scottish executive’s existing insurance policies to be reviewed and up to date following wider concerns about harassment at Holyrood and Westminster.

    Mr Salmond claims that the next investigation into the allegations in opposition to him by senior Scottish govt civil servants was once “unfair and unjust”.

    He mentioned he have been given no opportunity to “see and therefore to correctly problem the case against me” and that he had “not been allowed to peer the evidence”.

    He has additionally described the allegations as “patently ridiculous”, and has written to the Scottish govt’s top civil servant, Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans, urging her to analyze how the claims have been made public.

    Mr Salmond has claimed that somebody throughout the Scottish government has “flagrantly and again and again” breached the confidential court cases procedure via leaking details to the Day By Day File newspaper.

    The Scottish government argues that a remark released through Mr Salmond on Thursday of final week contained “significant errors” about its methods, with Ms Sturgeon pronouncing it would “defend its position vigorously”.

    ‘Entirely confidential’

    It has insisted that its investigation into the two lawsuits in opposition to Mr Salmond were “solely confidential right through”.

    The Scottish government has passed main points of the lawsuits to Police Scotland, and the drive has said it’s assessing the ideas.

    The Day By Day Document newspaper says it has seen the wording of 1 of the complaints, which was made by a Scottish govt team of workers member.

    She alleges the former first minister touched her backside and breasts via her clothing even as she used to be on my own with him at Bute House, the paper has reported.

    The alleged incident is said to have taken position on the first minister’s legitimate place of dwelling Bute House in Edinburgh in the first week of December 2013.

    The paper claims the lady has alleged “multiple incidences of harassment and conduct of an undesirable sexual nature”.

    Mr Salmond, who had spells as chief of the pro-independence SNP, led the devolved Scottish govt as first minister from 2007.

    He quit within the aftermath of the independence referendum in 2014, whilst Scotland voted to stay within the United Kingdom.

  • No Salmond complaints ahead of January, says government

    Alex Salmond Image copyright Getty Pictures

    The Scottish govt has confirmed there were no recorded court cases approximately former First Minister Alex Salmond’s behaviour ahead of January.

    The detail emerged as competition parties called for “complete transparency” over the research of sexual harassment claims against him.

    Two civil servants lodged court cases in January approximately Mr Salmond’s behaviour in 2013 at the same time as he used to be first minister.

    Mr Salmond has strongly denied any claims of harassment or criminality.

    He also accused somebody within the Scottish executive of “sustained leaking” of the “most unfair type”.

    Symbol caption Ms Sturgeon mentioned main points of the research must, for the moment, remain exclusive

    Labour’s Rhoda Grant stated: “Members of the general public keep in mind that the federal government shall be restricted in some regards because of Mr Salmond’s felony motion in opposition to them, but basic main points surrounding these meetings have to be launched to them.

    “The allegations towards Alex Salmond are extremely serious. His conferences with the pinnacle of a government that used to be investigating him must not be saved beneath wraps.”

  • Details revealed of Alex Salmond sexual harassment declare

    Image copyright PA Symbol caption Mr Salmond has hosted a display at the debatable RT station for the reason that closing November

    In a BBC interview on Friday Mr Salmond said he made “made many mistakes” in existence but strenuously denied the sexual harassment court cases.

    He mentioned the lawsuits procedure activated in opposition to him used to be unjust and didn’t allow him to present his case.

    Mr Salmond said that “with nice reluctance” he had now launched a judicial evaluate against the Scottish government on the Courtroom of Session.

    He stated that if he misplaced the case he could resolution the lawsuits against him “both comprehensively and publicly” but in addition warned that if the court docket finds in his favour, “the management on the senior levels of the Scottish government could have the most serious inquiries to answer”.

    Leslie Evans, everlasting secretary on the Scottish executive, said an inside assessment was once launched ultimate yr into the Scottish govt’s methods for handling lawsuits in the office in mild of wider issues about harassment at Westminster and Holyrood.

    As a part of that review, a brand new procedure on managing harassment complaints involving current or former ministers was once introduced.

    Alex Salmond

    Chief of Scottish Nationwide Birthday Party 1990-2000 and 2004-2014 First Minister of Scotland 2007 – 2014 Stood down after Scotland voted to remain in the United Kingdom

    She mentioned two complaints have been raised in January against Mr Salmond and he was once notified in March approximately an investigation.

    Mr Salmond’s successor as first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, stated the placement used to be “tricky for me to return to phrases with” given her lengthy history with Mr Salmond, however claims “could not be not noted”.

    Ms Sturgeon discovered that she used to be first informed of the research via Mr Salmond himself in April and had no earlier wisdom of proceedings being made towards him.

    Mr Salmond was once first minister and SNP leader till September 2014, stepping down after Scottish citizens rejected independence via a margin of FIFTY FIVE% to 45%.

    The following year he used to be elected because the SNP MP for Gordon in 2015 and became the party’s overseas affairs spokesman ahead of shedding the seat in the snap general election years later.

    Not Too Long Ago he has faced heavy grievance for web hosting the Alex Salmond Display on Russian broadcaster RT, which has been described as a propaganda channel for the Kremlin – a claim Mr Salmond has denied.

    (more…)

  • Salmond allegations: What will we understand?

    Alex Salmond denies the claims made against him Symbol copyright Jeff J Mitchell Image caption Alex Salmond denies the claims made against him

    Two people have made sexual harassment proceedings towards Scotland’s former first minister Alex Salmond. The lawsuits, which he denies, relate to his time in place of work. Why have they come to mild now?

    Why are the allegations being made now?

    Symbol copyright WPA Pool Image caption Everlasting Secretary Leslie Evans (second left) with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

    In November, within the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #Metoo movement, there have been concerns over experiences that women in any respect ranges within the Scottish Parliament had skilled harassment.

    At the similar time, MPs at Westminster were accused of intimidating or propositioning younger women inappropriately.

    Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon known as for an inside evaluation to be carried out of the Scottish government’s strategies for dealing with court cases in the workplace.

    As a part of that overview, a new process on dealing with harassment complaints regarding present or former ministers used to be presented.

    Symbol copyright CHRIS J RATCLIFFE Symbol caption First Minister Nicola Sturgeon mentioned she had no position in the procedure

    First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was conscious in April that Mr Salmond was once being investigated.

    In truth, it was once Mr Salmond himself that informed her.

    She stated she had no previous knowledge of proceedings being made towards him.

    Ms Sturgeon said she had taken “no role within the process” and never spoken approximately it publicly as a result of she didn’t need to compromise the inner investigation.

    She mentioned the fact that lawsuits were made couldn’t be neglected or swept under the carpet.”

    What occurs subsequent?

    A Judicial Review will consider whether or not a correct “resolution-making process” used to be followed through the Scottish government.

    It is not going to look at whether or not or no longer the “proper” resolution was made.

    The court will seek to make sure that principles of herbal justice and fairness were adopted.

    Before the review can also be heard Mr Salmond must attract the Court of Consultation for permission to proceed.

    Permission will best be granted where the Judicial Review has “a real prospect of success”.

  • Sturgeon: Alex Salmond sexual harassment claims ‘could now not be ignored’

    Alex Salmond Image copyright Getty Photographs

    Two other folks have made sexual harassment proceedings against Scotland’s former first minister Alex Salmond, his successor Nicola Sturgeon has showed.

    Ms Sturgeon said the lawsuits had been made in January and had been investigated via a process she had agreed to.

    She said the location was “tricky for me to return to terms with” but the claims “couldn’t be unnoticed”.

    Mr Salmond strongly denies the allegations in opposition to him.

    He has described a few of them as “patently ridiculous” and is taking felony action towards the Scottish govt over its handling of the court cases.

    Symbol caption Nicola Sturgeon acted as Mr Salmond’s deputy for plenty of years earlier than succeeding him as first minister and SNP chief in 2014

    Ms Sturgeon confirmed: “Complaints had been made in January in terms of Alex Salmond via two folks.

    “Those court cases were regarded as considering that then under a procedure covering ministers and previous ministers that used to be agreed through me in December 2017 within the wake of public fear about harassment.

    “Although I had been aware for a while of the fact of the research – to start with from Alex Salmond – I’ve had no function in the procedure, and to have mentioned it prior to now may have compromised the integrity of the internal research, which i used to be now not ready to do.”

    Ms Sturgeon mentioned she have been told by the Scottish government’s best civil servant, Leslie Evans, in advance this week that she had finished her research and that she intended to make the lawsuits public.

    Symbol copyright PA Symbol caption Mr Salmond has hosted a display at the controversial RT station considering that remaining November

    Alex Salmond

    Leader of Scottish Nationwide Birthday Celebration 1990-2000 and 2004-2014 First Minister of Scotland 2007 – 2014 Stood down after Scotland voted to remain within the United Kingdom

    In his statement, Mr Salmond says he refutes all of the allegations towards him. He did not say what the claims had been, however defined a few of them as being “patently ridiculous”.

    He also stated that “at the recommendation of Senior Recommend” he had been complaining to Mrs Evans, the Scottish executive’s permanent secretary, that the lawsuits process was once “unjust” and “unlawful”.

    The permanent secretary is accountable for the Scottish government’s FIVE,000 civil servants, and is the foremost coverage guide to Ms Sturgeon.

    Mr Salmond stated that “with great reluctance” he had now introduced a judicial assessment in opposition to the Scottish govt at the Court Docket of Session.

    He said that if he misplaced the case he would need to resolution to the court cases in opposition to him “each comprehensively and publicly”.

    However he warned that “the management on the senior ranges of the Scottish executive will have essentially the most severe questions to answer” if the courtroom reveals in his favour.

    ‘Tried the whole lot’

    Mr Salmond mentioned: “Even now I Have not been allowed to peer and due to this fact to properly problem the case against me.

    “I’ve not been allowed to see the proof. I Have tried everything, together with offers of conciliation, mediation and legal arbitration to solve those issues each properly and amicably.

    “this can have been in everybody’s pursuits, specifically those of the two complainants. All of these efforts had been rejected.”

    Mr Salmond was once elected as the SNP MP for Gordon in 2015 earlier than shedding the seat in the snap common election years later.

    He has confronted heavy complaint for webhosting the Alex Salmond Show on Russian broadcaster RT, which has been defined as a propaganda channel for the Kremlin – a claim Mr Salmond has denied.