Glasgow, Holyrood and Aberdeenshire
One of the few moments of light relief at Friday's session of the Holyrood Inquiry came when Alex Salmond deservedly mocked the evidence of Peter Murrell, SNP chief executive and Nicola Sturgeon's husband.
In previous evidence Mr Murrell suggested that Alex Salmond might have just 'popped in' for an hugely significant meeting at the Murrell/Sturgeon family home near Glasgow.
But Alex Salmond pointed out, fairly I thought, that he lives 200 miles away in Aberdeenshire.
On reflection, I'm sure this must have been obvious to everyone involved - no one makes a four hour car journey (and back) on a whim.
Holyrood Inquiry (27/02/21)
Murrell, Magpies and Mayhem (09/02/21)
Glib’ response
Committee member and interim Labour leader Jackie Baillie had asked about the content of messages which Mr Murrell refused to be drawn on.
Following Monday’s evidence session, she said: “Once more, Mr Murrell’s appearance before the committee was an exercise in spin and obfuscation.
“Murrell could not explain the nature of his text messages relating to the complaints against Mr Salmond, he could not confirm if he discussed the allegations against Mr Salmond with the first minister and he completely failed to refute the allegation that he was present for part of the meeting between the first minister and Mr Salmond in his own home.
Scottish Labour MSP Jackie Baillie.
“Mr Murrell, despite trying to dance on the head of a pin, effectively conceded that there were other text messages relating to the complaints against Mr Salmond.
“When faced with the charge that he may have misled the committee, Mr Murrell replies glibly and seemingly without understanding the gravity of the offence.
“This obstruction and obfuscation is simply unacceptable and this committee will continue to do all it can to get to the truth.”
The Man Who Wasn't There? (12/02/21)
Peter Murrell's evidence to the Salmond Inquiry has been evasive, confusing and contradictory.
The SNP chief executive gives the impression of being detached from it all - of being 'the man who wasn't there'.
Yet this statement from an SNP staff member seems to suggest that the CEO was aware of complaints against Mr Salmond and even went as far as providing complainers with support.
Politics and Spouses - Carrie Symonds and Peter Murrell (13/11/20)
Media reports claim that Carrie Symonds, Boris Johnson's partner and fiancée, has been playing a pivotal role in the affairs of government over the past few days.
Now that's not a good thing if you ask me, since no one elected or even appointed Carrie Symonds to stick her nose in where it doesn't belong.
At the opposite end of the spectrum we have the curious case of Peter Murrell, husband of the First Minister and Chief Executive of the SNP whose remit includes, like all CEOs, 'knowing what's going on at all times'.
Yet Peter Murrell insists he 'knew nothing' about two important meetings between Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond which were allegedly about SNP internal party matters - rather than the business of the Scottish Government.
Curiouser and curiouser, as they say.
Murrell's 'Manuel Defence' (10/09/2020)
I am not one of life's sceptics or a natural conspiracy theorist, but I have to say that Peter Murrell's explanation that he 'knew nothing' about Alex Salmond making two private visits to his home in 2018 sounds completely absurd.
Nicola Sturgeon has previously claimed that these visits were to do with SNP business and not the Scottish Government, but Peter Murrell is the chief executive of the SNP, as well as Nicola Sturgeon's husband.
So it simply beggars belief that Peter Murrell turned a blind eye to what was going on because it's not exactly every day that a former First Minister turns up at your front door to have two separate meetings on important SNP business with your wife.
Read Paul Hutcheon's report via the link below to the Daily Record.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeons-husband-says-not-22655277
Sturgeon's husband says she did not tell him about Alex Salmond sexual misconduct complaints
Peter Murrell said his wife informed him she "couldn’t discuss the details" about her meetings with Salmond on the complaints
By Paul Hutcheon - Daily Record
Nicola Sturgeon’s husband has said she did not inform him that sexual misconduct complaints had been made to the Government about Alex Salmond.
Peter Murrell, who is the SNP chief executive, said his wife told him she could not discuss what was talked about at meetings between her and Salmond at the couple’s home.
He said he became aware of the complaints after they were made public in August 2018.
In 2018, the Daily Record revealed that the Government had investigated complaints of sexual misconduct by two women against Salmond.
Salmond took legal action and the internal Government probe was ruled to be unlawful and tainted by apparent bias.
The botched investigation cost the taxpayer over £500,000 and led to a special Holyrood committee being set up.
A key issue being examined by MSPs is contact between Sturgeon and Salmond when the investigation was ongoing. The pair met at Sturgeon’s house and also spoke on the telephone.
She has previously said she met Salmond in her capacity as SNP leader, which put the focus on the party as well as the Government.
Murrell, the SNP’s long standing chief executive, was asked a series of questions by the committee about when he first knew of the complaints and the meetings between his wife and Salmond.
In a response, he said: “I became aware that complaints had been made under the Scottish Government procedure when the matter became public in August 2018.
“I knew about the meetings between Nicola and Alex Salmond at our home on 2 April and 14 July 2018 and I had the sense that something serious was being discussed. Nicola told me she couldn’t discuss the details. The nature of Nicola’s job means that when she tells me she can’t discuss something, I don’t press it.”
