ANGUS Robertson is the 5-1 favourite to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland’s next First Minister, says bookmaker Coral.
Ms Sturgeon has denied being part of a plot against her predecessor, Alex Salmond, testifying under oath in a political saga that is threatening both her leadership and her push for an independent Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon, 50, is facing mounting calls to quit after she was reportedly found to have misled the Scottish Parliament in her war with Alex Salmond.
The Scottish First Minister’s actions have been investigated by a Holyrood committee in Edinburgh.
There is confusion over its findings, however, after the Press Association reported, without citing a source, that the panel voted 5-4 that she gave an inaccurate account to parliament.
Heaping pressure on Ms Sturgeon to quit, it was reported that it was found she misled the committee itself and therefore misled parliament and potentially breached the ministerial code of conduct.
A top QC is expected to rule whether Ms Sturgeon broke the ministerial code when she previously claimed to have had no knowledge of alleged complaints against Alex Salmond.
Mr Hamilton, Ireland’s former director of public prosecutions, is expected to submit the findings of his independent investigation on Monday, March 22.
He has been examining whether Ms Sturgeon broke the ministerial code of conduct by:
He is also examining whether the Scottish government allegedly leaked the name of a complainer against Mr Salmond and whether public money was wasted by ignoring legal advice that Mr Salmond would win a judicial review.
But it’s likely she will try to avoid having to resign because it does not accuse of her of being “knowingly dishonest”.
Ms Sturgeon – who joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) at the age of 16 – believes it’s a politically motivated attack on her, given the committee’s “very partisan leak”.
She was pictured leaving home on the morning on Monday, March 22 as she insisted she’ll “continue leading Scotland through the pandemic” ahead of James Hamilton’s crucial report.
But a defiant Ms Sturgeon – who has been Scotland’s First Minister since being elected to the leadership role in November 2014 – insisted she has no plans to step down from her role – after hitting back at rivals
Leaving her home in Glasgow, where she lives with her husband Peter, the First Minister told journalists: “I’m going to do what I’ve done for every day for the, past year – lead the country through a pandemic.”
She has faced renewed calls to quit as the Scottish Tories revealed they plan to hold a no confidence vote on Wednesday, March 24.
Bookmaker Coral has cut the odds on Ms Sturgeon leaving her position in 2021 to 9-4 (from 11-4).
SNP Candidate for Edinburgh Central, Angus Robertson, “tops the betting to replace Ms Sturgeon, if a leadership race does begin in 2021,” according to Coral spokesman John Hill.
Robertson wrote in the Edinburgh Evening News: “I for one am pleased that we have a First Minister who has not swept complaints under the carpet.
“All recent polling shows how highly Nicola Sturgeon is rated by the public and I am confident that they want her to continue serving as First Minister.”
The Alex Salmond inquiry has reportedly concluded it is “hard to believe” Ms Sturgeon did not know of concerns about the former first minister before November 2017, as she claimed.
The case centres around the Scottish government’s handling of sexual harassment allegations against Salmond – who was acquitted in a criminal court.
In March 2020, The Sun Online reported how Salmond spoke of his two-year “nightmare” after being cleared of sexual offences in court.
After being found not guilty of all charges at the High Court in Edinburgh, he said: “I would like to thank my friends and family for standing by me the last two years.”
Salmond had denied 13 alleged sexual offences against nine women, who were all either working for the Scottish Government or within the SNP at the time.
While giving evidence, he claimed some were “deliberate fabrications for a political purpose”.
Scotland’s highest civil court ruled in 2019 that the government acted unlawfully in its investigation of the claims against Salmond.
It awarded him more than £500,000 in legal expenses.
MSPs looking into the botched handling of harassment complaints against Salmond have in March, 2021, reportedly said Ms Sturgeon gave an “inaccurate account” of a meeting with her predecessor.
The panel has been investigating the Scottish Government’s unlawful harassment probe of Salmond in 2018 after taxpayers were forced to foot a legal bill of over £600,000.
Ms Sturgeon appeared before a committee in early 2021, giving evidence in both writing and in person claiming she had not offered to intervene in a harassment probe into alleged bad behaviour by her predecessor.
But Salmond blew that claim out of the water by testifying the opposite, and was backed up by his legal team who were present at meetings with Ms Sturgeon.
His legal adviser Duncan Hamilton said he heard Ms Sturgeon tell Salmond in 2018: “If it comes to it, I will intervene.”
The report is expected to be formally published next week, but its key – unconfirmed – finding was leaked to the media on March 18.
Scottish leader Ms Sturgeon, who is also the MSP for Glasgow Southside constituency, has dismissed suggestions that she misled lawmakers.
A source told the Press Association the panel had voted 5-4 that she gave an inaccurate account to parliament.
But this leak prompted Ms Sturgeon to accuse opposition members on the legislative panel of making up their minds before they heard her evidence.
Ms Sturgeon told, who previously worked as a solicitor at Drumchapel Law Centre, Sky News that she stands by the eight hours of testimony she gave to the committee investigating her government’s handling of sexual harassment allegations against her predecessor.
She said: “What’s been clear is that opposition members of this committee made their minds up about me before I muttered a single word of evidence; their public comments have made that clear.
“So this leak from the committee very partisan leak tonight [March 18] before they’ve finalised the report is not that surprising.”
If Ms Sturgeon is found to have misled parliament, she could be forced to resign for breaking ministerial conduct rules.
Ms Sturgeon said she is waiting for the findings of James Hamilton, a senior lawyer conducting an independent investigation into whether she breached the ministerial code.
