Steerpike Steerpike

Another stitch-up in the Salmond inquiry

Salmond gives evidence to the Holyrood inquiry (Photo: Getty)

It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up: just as Watergate exposed the workings of the Nixon White House the Salmond inquiry is giving the world a glimpse of how the SNP works in Edinburgh. And how the SNP-led committee investigating Nicola Sturgeon is shameless in its determination to rig the system.

First, the committee tried not to publish Alex Salmond’s full evidence against Nicola Sturgeon citing legal reasons. That defence fell apart when The Spectator went to the High Court. Then, outrageously, the Crown Office (Scotland’s state prosecutors) told the committee to censor Salmond’s evidence. Leading to a question: what on earth was it playing at by interfering with parliament? Would the Crown Prosecution Service ever dare to interfere with a Westminster inquiry in this way? And how can the Crown Office claim to be independent when it’s led by a member of Sturgeon’s cabinet?

The separation of powers – or lack thereof – has become part of the scandal.

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