The late ex-first minister said after winning his 2020 court case there was evidence of a plot that would eventually ‘see the light of day’.
12:00, 19 Apr 2026
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond leaves the High Court surrounded by police and the media
Moments after Alex Salmond was cleared of sexually assaulting nine women he delivered a clear warning to the people he believed had plotted against him.
Outside Edinburgh High Court on a chilly March afternoon at the height of the pandemic, the former first minister delivered a short but pointed speech to the assembled press pack.
He said: “As many of you will know, there is certain evidence I would have liked to have seen led in this trial but for a variety of reasons we were not able to do so.
“At some point, that information, those facts and that evidence will see the light of day.”
In court he insisted he had “never attempted to have non-consensual sexual relations with anyone”.
And he said claims made against him were “deliberate fabrications for a political purpose”.
But Salmond’s death in October 2024 at the age of 69 meant he never lived to see much of the evidence which he believed proved a conspiracy aired public.
The messages the Sunday Mail has published today finally provides at least some of the evidence Salmond alluded to.
Our revelations have sparked furious demands for an immediate investigation from both Salmond allies and opposition parties.
Former SNP minister Fergus Ewing, who is standing in May’s election as an independent, said: “These revelations are both shocking and devastating.
“They appear to show several individuals were not only determined to destroy Alex Salmond, but to connive and conspire against him.
“I shall therefore write to the Lord Advocate with a copy of this Sunday Mail expose, urging her to instruct a full investigation into whether there has been a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.”
Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said: “These messages raise serious questions for John Swinney and the SNP.
“It is outrageous that this information was withheld from the Scottish Parliament’s inquiry into the issue and John Swinney has some serious explaining to do.
“The SNP’s handling of complaints against Alex Salmond in both the party and the government has let down complainants and undermined confidence in the process.
“For too long John Swinney and the SNP have operated in a culture of secrecy. He withheld information from the committee and forced members to move votes of no confidence in his handling of the matter.
“It’s time for John Swinney and the SNP to come clean about this scandal and tell us what actually happened and explain exactly who knew what and when.”
Timeline
OCTOBER 31, 2017
Ministers order a review of the Scottish Government’s “policies and processes for addressing inappropriate conduct” in the wake of sexual harassment scandals in politics and showbiz. This isled by permanent secretary Leslie Evans.
DECEMBER 2017
Nicola Sturgeon signs off the government’s new process for dealing with complaints of sexual harassmentand misconduct which can be applied to ex-ministers.
JANUARY 2018
Two female staff members make formal complaints to the Scottish Government about Salmond’s conduct, dating back to when he was first minister in December 2013. An internal inquiry is established and an investigating officer appointed.
AUGUST 2018
Allegations against Salmond are made public. He announces he is launching a legal challenge and resigns from the SNP.
SEPTEMBER 2018
Police Scotland say they have launched a probe into complaints against him.
JANUARY 8, 2019
The government concedes defeat in Salmond’s judicial review. The Court declares the govern-ment’s inquiry unlawful and bias and Salmond is awarded £512,000 in legal costs.
JANUARY 24, 2019
Salmond is arrested and charged with 13 counts of sexual assault and one breach of the peace. He denies all criminality.
MARCH 2020
The former first minister is cleared of all charges after a trial at Edinburgh High Court.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton added: “This shocking new evidence highlights the vicious culture that prevailed within the SNP when Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell were in charge.
“It is long overdue for all those involved to come clean about their behaviour.
“That includes John Swinney, who was Nicola Sturgeon’s right-hand man during this period and who owes Scots a full account of this murky situation.”
Salmond was first minister between May 2007 and November 2014, when he stood down in the wake of the Scottish independence referendum and was replaced by Nicola Sturgeon.
He is widely regarded as the architect of the modern Scottish independence movement and one of the most skilled political operators of modern times.
He took the SNP from a fringe party in a country dominated by Scottish Labour to a seemingly unstoppable election winning force that endures to this day with the party expected to win May’s Holyrood election.
Last year Sturgeon denied claims of a conspiracy in her memoir, which was highly critical of her former mentor.
Salmond had been suing over a botched investigation into harassment complaints made about him before he died of a heart attack in 2024.
Millionaire businessman and rock drummer Paul McManus has taken up Salmond’s case and fund the action after widow Moira agreed to transfer the legal rights.
McManus has said he never met the former SNP and Alba leader and disagreed with him politically but believed there had been a plot against him.
Salmond died in October 2024 while attending a conference in North Macedonia.
Preparatory work has been taking place, led by solicitor advocate Prof Peter Watson of PBW Law and partners Michael McKitrick and Pamela Rodgers.
Salmond has been laid to rest following a private funeral near his Aberdeenshire home.
His coffin was draped in a saltire as it moved in a procession from Strichen Parish Church.
A month later supporters lined the streets outside a packed memorial service at Edinburgh St Giles’ Cathedral which was attended by First Minister John Swinney and former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Kenny MacAskill gave a eulogy in which he said “the cause of Scottish independence was burned in his heart and seared on his soul”.
MacAskill: Justice now must be done
By Kenny MacAskill
I’ve always believed at the root of the allegations against Alex Salmond lay a conspiracy forged by individuals at the heart of the SNP and Scottish Government.
These WhatsApp messages confirm my suspicions.
Remember the civil case he raised against the Scottish Government saw Scotland’s most senior Judge describe Nicola Sturgeon’s administration’s actions as “unlawful”, “procedurally unfair” and “tainted with apparent bias”.
But rather than concede graciously, Leslie Evans the government’s most senior civil servant simply stated the “battle may be lost but not the war”.
Alex then faced criminal allegations of sexual misconduct, some at the highest degree, but was acquitted on all charges by a jury of his peers.
Why was that, folk ask? It was because they feared his return to Holyrood and Scots politics and would do anything to try and stop him.
He was vindicated but it took a heavy toll and undoubtedly played a part in his early death at 69.
Betrayal by people he had nurtured and considered friends hurt him deeply.
I therefore welcome businessman Paul McManus keeping the civil case against the government going and believe there should be a judge-led inquiry. These revelations help, but they also raise other questions.
Why were many of these messages kept from the jury and the argument of a conspiracy equally rejected?
More importantly what will the Crown Office do about those involved?
This must surely see a police investigation. Justice demands no less as this goes to the heart of our democracy.
Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE
