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Thursday, 04 March 2021_This is the moment Nicola Sturgeon has been waiting for. The chance to prove she did not plot to bring down her former mentor.
She is accused of botching an investigation into sexual harassment charges against her predecessor Alex Salmond, holding key meetings in her home regarding the complaints, breaking the ministerial code and repeatedly lying to parliament. Amid calls to resign, she faced a committee of the Scottish parliament Wednesday, and reiterated her position.
Sturgeon now has a delicate balance to strike as a woman and politician. She says she didn’t know there were alleged concerns about Salmond’s sexual behavior, but later was convinced by Salmond himself, that something inappropriate did happen.
Two key witnesses have provided damning evidence Sturgeon repeatedly misled parliament, corroborating Salmond’s version of events. He gave evidence on February 26, and accused the government of withholding documents pertaining to the case, and damaging Scotland’s reputation.
What hangs in the balance here is not just Sturgeon’s career, but her lifelong goal to see Scottish independence. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has slapped down her demands for a new referendum as "irrelevant" and "unnecessary".
Nonetheless, she has vowed to hold a new independence vote if she wins a majority in May's Holyrood elections. However, first she must stave off demands for her to resign and survive a no-confidence vote in parliament.
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