‘Could be the fall of Sturgeon’ Dale warns SNP leader could be toppled by Salmond inquiry

Iain Dale told Good Morning Britain that if Alex Salmond can prove that Nicola Sturgeon lied, she will be under pressure to resign from her position as Scotland’s First Minister. Former SNP leader Alex Salmond is set to give evidence this afternoon during the start of the inquiry.  

Mr Dale said: “It is a massive fallout between two former political allies.

“It is as if Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were involved in this kind of thing, that is the extent of it.

“It could lead in theory and I am not exaggerating here, it could lead to the fall of Nicola Sturgeon if it is proved.

“If Alex Salmond can in some way prove that Nicola Sturgeon has not told the truth, she will have broken the ministerial code.

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“And if you break the ministerial code you are under pressure to resign.

“I have got a massive bowl of popcorn ready for this massive four-hour session later because it is going to be box-office.”

On Thursday afternoon, Ms Sturgeon and Ruth Davidson were involved in a ferocious exchange regarding the inquiry which is dominating the build-up to the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary elections.

During a heated First Minister’s Questions, Nicola Sturgeon warned against signing up to “damaging and deluded conspiracy theories” regarding her involvement in the handling of allegations made against former SNP leader Alex Salmond.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Anyone who is suggesting that prosecution decisions or decisions that the Crown Office takes in terms of upholding court orders is in any way politically influenced is not just wrong and not just completely lacking in a single shred of evidence to back that claim up.

“I would also suggest that they are signing up to a dangerous and quite deluded conspiracy theory that risks undermining the integrity and well-deserved reputation of Scotland’s independent justice system.

“All of us have a duty to conduct debates in a way that does not unfairly trash the reputation of people who are doing their jobs independent of Government.”

On Wednesday, the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg warned Nicola Sturgeon that the “huge amounts of bad blood” within the SNP that is being exposed by the Alex Salmond inquiry could damage the party.

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Ms Kuenssberg told the BBC’s Politics Live: “It is a very tricky issue for the SNP, not least because they have got a reputation of being such a united, effective, campaigning force.

“This is very distracting, there are huge amounts of bad blood spilling all over the place, whether that is on social media or Parliamentary committees.

“The second thing is that there are very big questions being asked in Scotland right now about whether or not the Parliament has been able to do its job properly.

“And whether legal authorities in Scotland have been involved in the proper ways.”