A veteran SNP MSP has claimed anyone involved in a "conspiracy" against Alex Salmond should be sacked.
Alex Neil - a friend of the former first minister - said if it was proven there was an organised plot to bring down the ex-SNP leader, all those involved "would be getting their jotters".
It comes as senior figures within their party are split in their reaction to events at Holyrood this week. Opposition parties have accused the SNP of plunging the parliament into "a crisis of confidence".
Salmond has accused several senior SNP figures of conspiring to end his career - a claim rejected by the First Minister, who says there is "not a shred of evidence" to support his claims.
Tensions within the SNP have exploded in recent weeks as a committee of MSPs attempts to investigate how the Scottish Government botched its handling of historic complaints made against Salmond.
The former first minister was due to give evidence to the Inquiry on Wednesday but pulled out after sections of a submission - which has been widely reported by the media - were redacted following an intervention by the Crown Office.
Salmond will now give evidence tomorrow while Sturgeon is due to appear next week.
Neil - a Salmond ally - today called for all evidence the Inquiry has called for to be made public.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, he said: "The SNP leadership has got to try and put a lid on this, and I think the best way to do that is to release the legal advice, which was promised by the First Minister to the parliamentary committee when it was set-up.
"The Crown Office should lift the threat of criminal action against Mr Salmond and allow the information the committee has asked for to be presented to the committee and the public.
"And then hopefully, once it's all out in the open, people can make up their minds if there was a conspiracy - if there was, who was involved in it, and what action should be taken.
"Let's see if we can draw a line under this before we get into an election campaign proper. I think it would be tragic for everybody if the election campaign was dominated by the this one issue.
Asked if Sturgeon would have to quit if Alex Salmond was proven to be right, Neil added: "If it was proven there was a conspiracy, everybody involved in the conspiracy, I think, would be getting their jotters."
Speaking on Radio Scotland today, SNP MP Alyn Smith - an ally of Sturgeon - said: "A lot of allegations are being made, and of course, allegations need to be taken seriously, but when they are rebutted we need to take that as what it is.
"The idea the Scottish Government is in a position to lean on the Scottish Parliament is absurd."
He added: "I think there is a sustained attack on devolution, in principle and in fact, under way right now which is being used by the Conservatives to undermine the idea Scotland should have any decision-making capacity at all.
"I think anyone in the SNP side who is giving ammunition to this unseemly campaign, should think about which party they are running with."
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiUWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5cmVjb3JkLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvcG9saXRpY3Mvc25wLW1zcC1zYXlzLWFueW9uZS1pbnZvbHZlZC0yMzU2MjI3MtIBVWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5cmVjb3JkLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvcG9saXRpY3Mvc25wLW1zcC1zYXlzLWFueW9uZS1pbnZvbHZlZC0yMzU2MjI3Mi5hbXA?oc=5
2021-02-25 09:06:22Z
52781390880006
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar