Nicola Sturgeon is fighting for her political life

The Alex Salmond inquiry has seen its most remarkable day yet. Three pivotal documents have been released to the Holyrood committee probing a Scottish government internal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Scotland’s former First Minister. The Court of Session has already declared that investigation to have been ‘unlawful’, ‘procedurally unfair’ and ‘tainted by apparent bias’ and Salmond has been acquitted on 13 counts of sexual assault in a separate criminal trial. He claims that key figures around Nicola Sturgeon, his protege-turned-adversary, conspired to imprison him.

The papers published today reveal the legal advice the Scottish government was given about its chances of success in Salmond’s civil case against them and — most inflammatory of all — his allegation that the name of one of the complainants against him was passed on by a government official.

The legal advice has been a point of contention throughout the long-running inquiry. Despite two votes by the Scottish parliament, Nicola Sturgeon’s government refused to provide a copy to the inquiry.