Sturgeon did not break ministerial code in Salmond probe, independent inquiry finds
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Your support makes all the difference.Nicola Sturgeon did not breach the ministerial code in her handling of allegations against her predecessor Alex Salmond, an independent inquiry found.
An investigation published by former public prosecutor James Hamilton on Monday afternoon cleared the first minister of breaching the code and misleading parliament in relation to meetings she had with Mr Salmond and others in 2018.
Responding to the release of the report, the first minister said she welcomed the "comprehensive, evidence-based and unequivocal" conclusions of the report, adding: "I sought at every stage in this issue to act with integrity and in the public interest."
Elsewhere, the UK announced sanctions against four Chinese officials accused of atrocities committed against Uighur Muslims, in coordinated action with the EU and US.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said the individuals would face an asset freeze and a travel ban – with the public and companies also expected to be barred from providing them with financial assistance.
Earlier on Monday, Boris Johnson condemned scenes from a Bristol as “absolutely unacceptable” after violence broke out in the city during a protest against the government’s proposed policing bill. Twenty officers were injured in the demonstration, which saw a police station attacked and marked police cars set on fire.
BBC produces ‘content you can trust,’ Tim Davie says
Asked what the BBC’s unique selling point was, compared to its more technologically advanced competitors, the BBC’s Tim Davie answered simply: “High quality British content that you can trust”.
Mr Davie said the BBC has a “different purpose” to streaming services.
“We are absolutely coming from a different point of view,” he told the Public Affairs Committee. “We are not trying to make a paid subscription business work.”
He added: “We have a different purpose. I’m not running a business for profit, I’m running... an organisation for purpose.”
Mr Davie is currently giving evidence to the committee alongside the BBC’s chief content officer Charlotte Moore.
Sturgeon criticised for publishing indyref2 draft bill during Covid
Pro-UK parties have hit out at Nicola Sturgeon for publishing draft legislation for a Scottish independence referendum during the ongoing pandemic.
Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, said: “It is beyond the comprehension of most Scots that Nicola Sturgeon considers this to be a priority.
“Scotland continues to be gripped by the global pandemic and even once normality slowly returns, the shockwaves will be felt for years to come.”
He insisted the motivation for publishing the draft bill was “as much to do with distracting people from the Sturgeon-Salmond scandal”.
Similarly, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “We are still in a pandemic. Thousands have lost their lives, thousands more have lost their job. Reasonable people will think that this is the wrong moment to be pushing a referendum.”
He added: “Dozens of civil servants could have been planning to get cancer services running full speed but they’ve been ordered to do this instead. Or they could have been working on getting funds to business, better mental health services or support for schools.”
Elsewhere, pro-independence Scottish Green Party welcomed the draft bill, with co-leader Lorna Slater saying in a statement: “Scotland’s future must be in the hands of those who live and work in Scotland, and the Scottish Greens are asking people to vote like our future depends on it this May.
“Our manifesto will support a referendum on our shared future, and polls show we may be crucial in ensuring this bill passes.”
Incoming inquiry report could ‘decide if Sturgeon will be forced to quit’
Nicola Sturgeon placed her future in James Hamilton’s hands when she appointed him to investigate her actions involving Alex Salmond, placing far more importance on it than a separate inquiry held by a committee of MSPs.
The document is set to be published “within hours,” according to reports.
Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has the full report:
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Inquiry report that will decide if Nicola Sturgeon will be forced to quit to be published within hours
Watch live: defence secretary presents military review to parliament
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Watch live as defence secretary presents military review to parliament
Patel: ‘Tackling street harassment is vital to defeat violence against women and girls’
During questions given to home secretary Priti Patel, Labour’s Sarah Jones asked whether a law could be introduced in order to make street harassment a specific criminal offence.
She told MPs: “Thousands of women across the land, including (Ms Patel) have spoken of the danger they feel on the streets and the harassment they have suffered. Now is the time for action.
“The number of stalking and harassment offences recorded by police has more than doubled in four years, half a million offences last year and we know that this is literally the tip of the iceberg as most women do not report street harassment.
“Will (Ms Patel) work cross-party to introduce a law, similar to one introduced in France in 2018, to make street harassment a specific criminal offence?”
Ms Patel responded: “I say to (Ms Jones) on street harassment and in fact all harassment against individuals, male and female, but particularly women and girls, street harassment is absolutely unacceptable and I’ve spent some time actually with campaigners who are campaigning to change the law on street harassment.
“So I am absolutely committed to working with everybody on this. This will be part of our strategy going forward on violence against women and girls. (Ms Jones) will absolutely know of the work that’s taking place.”
Hartlepool candidate demands action on violence against women and girls
A Women’s Equality Party (WEP) candidate will run in the upcoming Hartlepool by-election “to demand action” from other parties to tackle violence against women and girls.
Gemma Evans, a campaigner and abuse survivor, will run for MP in the potentially vulnerable “red wall” seat, but will step down if Labour agrees to campaign for the same policy demands.
“We have seen the huge outpouring of grief and anger over the last few weeks, after the tragic murder of Sarah Everard,” she said. “We all know that her murder was not the first, and unless we take action it won’t be the last.”
Follow Zoe Tidman’s exclusive story here:
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Hartlepool by-election candidate to demand action on tackling violence against women and girls
Sturgeon to ‘face vote of no confidence on Tuesday’
Nicola Sturgeon is expected to face a vote of no confidence on Tuesday amid accusations she misled parliament about her involvement in the Alex Salmond investigation, the Scottish parliament has confirmed.
A debate on the motion of no confidence is now scheduled for Tuesday, rather than Wednesday as had been expected, although it is subject to final approval by the parliament’s business bureau on Tuesday morning.
The motion has been tabled by the Scottish Conservatives after the party’s leader at Holyrood, Ruth Davidson, claimed there was “no question” the first minister had lied to parliament.
The Tories had threatened the motion of no confidence prior to Ms Sturgeon’s appearance before the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints, set up after a successful judicial review by Mr Salmond resulted in the Scottish Government’s investigation being ruled unlawful and “tainted by apparent bias” in 2019.
But following a leak that the inquiry has reportedly concluded that Ms Sturgeon gave an “inaccurate” account of meetings with Mr Salmond, the party repeated their calls for her resignation.
Another inquiry, carried out by the independent adviser to the government on the ministerial code, James Hamilton, has concluded and will be published on Monday.
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UK imposes sanctions against Chinese officials over Uighur ‘industrial scale human rights abuses’
The UK has announced sanctions against four Chinese officials accused of atrocities committed against Uighur Muslims, in coordinated action with the EU.
Dominic Raab said the individuals would face an asset freeze and a travel ban – with the public and companies also expected to be barred from providing them with financial assistance.
Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick will bring you more on this story as it develops:
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UK imposes sanctions against Chinese officials over Uighur ‘industrial scale human rights abuses’
Nandy welcomes sanctions but questions ‘grubby’ and ‘cynical’ timing
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed Mr Raab’s decision but questioned why it had taken the foreign secretary so long to act given the evidence of abuse against the Uighurs has been “known about for years”.
Ms Nandy said: “The truth is that the timing of this is grubby and it is cynical. It is designed to send a signal, first and foremost, not to the Chinese government but to his own backbenchers.
“It is motivated primarily by a desire to protect the government not the Uighur. For all the talk of being a force for good in the world, it is only when this government is staring down the barrel of defeat that it discovers a moral centre.
“Only now that the US and EU have acted has he finally moved to take this step.”
Ms Nandy urged Conservative MPs to back a Trade Bill amendment aimed at preventing deals with countries involved in genocide, accusing the government of “twisting the arms” of its backbenchers.
Nicola Sturgeon did not breach ministerial code over Alex Salmond controversy, independent inquiry finds
Nicola Sturgeon has been cleared of breaching the ministerial code over the Alex Salmond controversy, by an independent investigation.
The crucial report, by QC James Hamilton, has ruled: “I am of the opinion that the first minister did not breach the provisions of the ministerial code in respect of any of these matters.”
Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick with this breaking story:
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