Scottish leader cleared by probe amid new independence push

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was cleared Monday of misleading parliament in an explosive scandal involving sexual harassment allegations against her predecessor that saw the opposition call for her resignation.

The finding, in an independent report by senior lawyer James Hamilton, came shortly after Sturgeon’s government published a bill setting out its ambition of holding a second referendum on independence from the United Kingdom by the end of 2023.

Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party hopes Hamilton’s report will put the independence push back on track, although recent polls show fading public support following the SNP government’s botched case against its former leader Alex Salmond.

“I am of the opinion that the first minister did not breach the provisions of the ministerial code in respect of any of these matters,” said the report by Hamilton, the former director of state prosecutions in Ireland.

Sturgeon said she welcomed the “comprehensive, evidence-based and unequivocal” conclusion, which clears her to lead the SNP into May elections and a possible second referendum down the line.

“I sought at every stage in this issue to act with integrity and in the public interest,” she said.

The report came ahead of the release of a Scottish parliamentary committee report on Tuesday, which is expected to find against Sturgeon on the same case involving Salmond, her one-time political mentor and friend.

But the SNP says the committee’s adverse findings — most of which have been leaked already — are stacked against her by an opposition majority on the panel.

Salmond, who was first minister from 2007 to 2014, was cleared of all charges at a criminal trial last year, and says the accusations were politically motivated by his successor’s team.

He accused Sturgeon of a failure of leadership, charging that she breached the ministerial code governing behaviour and conduct, which is normally a matter for resignation.

– ‘Irresponsible’ –

Earlier this month, Sturgeon vehemently denied claims that she misled the Edinburgh parliament about when she knew of the allegations against Salmond, including whether she promised him to intervene on his behalf.

Before the criminal trial, a civil court found the government probe into the complaints was unlawful and “tainted by apparent bias”. Salmond, 66, was awarded more than £500,000 ($699,000) in legal costs.

Sturgeon, while denying meddling in the case, has apologised for the Scottish government’s conduct following the stinging court ruling.

Bidding to turn the page, SNP Constitution Secretary Michael Russell said the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill would offer voters a clear choice on who is best placed to lead Scotland out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A previous vote in 2014 saw Scots opt to remain part of the union, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly refused to allow a second referendum.

But the SNP says the UK’s Brexit departure from the European Union — which most Scots opposed — has dramatically changed the political landscape.

If a majority in the Scottish Parliament supports another plebiscite after the May elections, there will be “no democratic justification whatsoever” for London to block it, Russell said in a statement.

Without independence, Scotland can expect “an economic recovery hindered by a hard Brexit that is already taking a significant toll”, he added.

The bill sets out that another referendum should occur “in the first half of the new parliamentary term”, or by the end of 2023.

The question for voters would be “Should Scotland be an independent country?” — the same one used in 2014.

Pamela Nash, the chief executive of anti-independence group Scotland in Union, said the bill was an “outrageous and irresponsible use of public resources” amid the pandemic.

“The people of Scotland do not believe a divisive second independence referendum is a priority, but the SNP is refusing to listen,” she said.