Former adviser: Holyrood making mockery of Salmond probe

Alex Salmond speaks outside the High Court in Edinburgh after he was cleared of attempted rape and a series of sexual assaults, including one with intent to rape, against nine women, who were all either working for the Scottish Government or within the SNP at the time.

A former adviser to Nicola Sturgeon has accused civil servants and politicians of undermining the Scottish Parliament over their lack of co-operation with the Alex Salmond inquiry.

Noel Dolan, who was Ms Sturgeon’s most senior adviser for a decade, also urged the First Minister to provide full answers when she gives evidence to the committee probing the Scottish Government’s botched handling of harassment claims.

Committee chair Linda Fabiani said on Tuesday the inquiry could not continue while it awaited responses from the Scottish Government, SNP chief executive Peter Murrell and former FM Alex Salmond.

Mr Dolan said: “The government at both official and political level is making a mockery of the committee and undermining the parliament.

“I believe Linda Fabiani has been 100% right to call a halt to proceedings.

“The Scottish Government said it would provide information and now it is using legal ploys to avoid providing the information to the committee.

“If it continues to refuse to provide information, the committee should dig its heels in and say there is no point in proceeding.”

The Scottish Government has repeatedly refused to reveal the legal advice it received about the judicial review brought by Mr Salmond.

The Court of Session found the process was unlawful and “tainted with apparent bias” and he was awarded £512,250 in costs.