Salmond: Scotland Has Not Failed – Its Leadership Has Failed
2 min read
Former First Minister Alex Salmond launched an attack on the Scottish Government in his opening statement to the Scottish Parliament's harassment inquiry.
“Scotland has not failed - its leadership has failed,” he said in his opening remarks to the committee of MSPs.
He said that the collective actions of the Scottish Government had “shed a light on a government whose actions are no longer true to the principles of openness, accountability and transparency, which are the core principles on which this Scottish parliament was founded.”
He also criticised the fact that no one had taken the blame after the government was found to have acted unlawfully in its handling of an investigation into harassment complaints against him and there had been no resignations or sackings.
The Crown Office, too, was criticised by Salmond for intervening to have some of his evidence to parliament redacted.
But Salmond put the blame firmly on the leadership and said the institutions themselves had not failed.
“The Scottish Courts emerge from this with their reputation enhanced,” he said.
“Can those leading the Crown Office say the same?
“Some say the failures of those institutions and the blurring of the boundaries between party, government and prosecution service mean that Scotland is in danger of becoming a failed state. I disagree.
“The Scottish civil servant hasn’t failed; its leadership has failed.
“The Crown Office hasn’t failed; its leadership has failed.
“Scotland hasn’t failed; its leadership has failed.”
Alex Salmond will continue to be questioned by the committee this afternoon. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will appear before the committee on Tuesday.
Read more on Holyrood.com.
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