TWO of the SNP’s most senior MPs have hit out at the party after Alex Salmond was cleared of all charges.
Taking to Twitter, the East Lothian MP, Kenny MacAskill wrote: “Delighted for Alex Salmond. Some resignations now required.”
When the National asked MacAskill who he wanted to see resign, he replied: “I think they know who they are. I’ll see if they do.”
Joanna Cherry, who, alongside MacAskill, leads on the justice portfolio in the Commons for the SNP, said some of the evidence used in court against Salmond raised serious question marks over how the complaints against the former First Minister were handled by her party.
READ MORE: Will Alex Salmond be welcomed back into the SNP?
In a statement, the Edinburgh MP said: “I am very pleased that Alex Salmond has been acquitted of these charges.
“Those of us who know him, and indeed many of the thousands of people who have met him over the years, did not recognise the man described in the evidence lead for the crown.”
She said the verdict of acquittal was “the combination of two very lengthy investigations by the Scottish Government and Police Scotland, and two court cases”.
“In both cases, Mr Salmond has been vindicated and serious questions now arise about the background to these cases, especially given the considerable sums of public money, which have been expended.
READ MORE: Alex Salmond Trial: Timeline of events up to today's verdict
“As a feminist lawyer and former specialist sex crimes prosecutor I fully support the rights of all women who make a complaint of a sexual crime to have their complaint properly investigated.
“However, I also support due process and the principle of innocent until proven guilty. Some of the evidence that has come to light, both in the judicial review and at this trial, raise very serious questions over the process that was employed within the Scottish Government to investigate the alleged complaints against Mr Salmond.
“And I’m sorry to say, some of the evidence also raises serious question marks over how these complaints were handled by the SNP.
“We are presently at a time of great national crisis and dealing with the pandemic must take precedence.
“There should also be an independent inquiry into how the SNP dealt with these allegations and an inquiry into our internal complaints procedure with which many members have expressed significant dissatisfaction.”
Other supporters of Salmond said he must now be allowed to rejoin the SNP.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon to explain Salmond case role in 'fullness of time'
The former first minister (above) quit the party in August 2018 when he was taking the Scottish Government to court over their inquiry into sexual misconduct.
Cherry said it was time to restore Salmond’s place in the party’s history to the “prominence it deserves”.
She also said he should be “allowed to rejoin the party without delay if that is what he wishes to do”.
A number of other party colleagues agreed that the SNP should welcome Salmond back into the fold.
MP Martyn Day said he was delighted by the “positive result for my former colleague @AlexSalmond”.
He added: “I never doubted his innocence or integrity. Billy Wolfe once told me ‘Alex will have more come backs than Bob Hope’. I’m looking forward to the next one.”
The fallout from the trial will be difficult for the party. At a procedural hearing before the trial started it was revealed that an SNP politician told a senior party executive that Salmond was intent on “bringing down” Sturgeon. The text message was sent by the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to the SNP’s chief operating officer Sue Ruddick.
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