VIEWERS have been giving their reactions to Nicola Sturgeon's appearance before Holyrood's harassment complaints inquiry today.

Senior figures in the SNP were among those backing the First Minister as she took questions over the Scottish Government's mishandling of complaints against Alex Salmond, which the Court of Session found was unlawful and "tainted by apparent bias".

The First Minister is facing calls from the Scottish Conservatives to step down after two witnesses backed up Salmond’s claim that she misled parliament about a meeting with her predecessor.

Written evidence from both Duncan Hamilton – a former SNP MSP and lawyer for Salmond – and the SNP’s former communications director Kevin Pringle contradict Sturgeon’s statements to parliament and her submission to a Holyrood inquiry.

With a sense the First Minister's political survival may be at stake, SNP MPs and councillors were among a host of senior party figures giving her their strong support after she finished her opening statement to MSPs this morning.

Several finished their remarks with the hashtag "I Stand With Nicola".

SNP MP Pete Wishart wrote: "Wow! What a powerful, sincere and emotional opening statement. At last we hear. #IStandWithNicola."

Stewart McDonald, the SNP MP and party's defence spokesman at Westminster, wrote: "Nicola Sturgeon is head and shoulders above all of those trying to tear her down - and that opening statement showed why."

Alison Thewliss, the SNP's shadow chancellor at Westminster, wrote on Twitter: "A dignified and clear statement from Nicola Sturgeon. Glad she is finally getting to have her say. #IStandWithNicola."

Alan Brown, the SNP MP, wrote: "It should go without saying, however, I am fully behind the First Minister today as she gives her side of this saga. The opening statement personified her leadership. I look forward to her leading our party into the election in May #IStandWithNicola."

Councillor Michelle Campbell, a member of the SNP's social justice commission, also gave her support.

She wrote on Twitter: "I remember Nicola at the [first] hospital I staffed for the official opening in 2008. I wasn’t SNP at that time. I joined in 2015 when I saw the graft and a strong leadership in Nicola Sturgeon as well as the strength to activism on what matters most for our nation. #IStandWithNicola."

Supporters of Salmond were more sceptical.

Mark Hirst wrote: "To be successful con-artists have to sound convincing, they have to sound believable. But never judge any politician by their rhetoric but by their actions. Whether on independence or 'unlawful' processes Nicola Sturgeon's rhetoric doesn't match her actions."

Craig Murray, a close ally of Salmond, who stood as a candidate for SNP president in November and was beaten by Constitution Secretary Michael Russell, commented on the questions from SNP MSPs to the First Minister.

He wrote: "Government supporting MSPs try to run down the clock by pre-cooked questions giving the chance for ultra lengthy pre-cooked answers which repeat #Metoo, protect the women and Salmond is evil ad nauseam."

Some journalists and commentators also gave their views and noted how Sturgeon was approaching the issues.

Freelance journalist and former Herald chief reporter David Leask noted: "Amid all the daft patter about “one party states” and “dictatorships”, we should take a moment to remember we live in a country whose leader can be grilled all day by her opponents on live TV and under oath."

Chris Deerin, director of the think tank Reform Scotland and a contributor to the New Statesman, noted: "Sturgeon has been excellent so far - I think most fair-minded people will have been impressed and perhaps convinced by her honesty and humanity. There is strength to a lot of her points. A lot now resting on Jackie Baillie and Murdo Fraser."

Other journalists underlined the message the First Minster underlined at the beginning of her appearance.

Lesley Riddoch, the The National's columnist, wrote: "Nicola Sturgeon opening statement: 'I refused to follow the age-old pattern of letting a powerful man use his status & connections to get what he wants.' 'I know FM what [Alex} told me that his behaviour was not always appropriate.' 'Overall I made the best judgements I could'."

Lionel Barber, the former editor of the Financial Times, wrote: "Sturgeon, voice quavering, employs 'don’t give a powerful man what he wants' defence against unrepentant Salmond."

Owen Jones, the Guardian columnist, wrote: "What strikes me as deeply unpleasant about the Nicola Sturgeon / Alex Salmond situation is that the possible consequence of a powerful man who Sturgeon says acted 'deeply inappropriately' towards women could be the destruction of a woman's political career.

"To pre-empt the inevitable replies: Alex Salmond was cleared of criminal behaviour. That doesn't mean that his behaviour towards women wasn't, in Sturgeon's words, 'deeply inappropriate'."

During the question and answer session journalist James Doleman commented on Twitter: "Say what you want about Scottish governance. But can you imagine Boris Johnson being grilled like this over PPE contracts? #Sturgeon."

During her opening statement Sturgeon said Salmond's account to her of his "deeply inappropriate behaviour" is a "moment in my life that I will never forget", as she maintained she did not intervene in the Scottish Government's investigation into her predecessor.

The First Minister told MSPs on the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints that the details of complaints against Salmond were "shocking" and his behaviour "was not always appropriate".

She apologised to the public and the women who submitted sexual harassment complaints about her predecessor for the Scottish Government's investigation.

The inquiry into Salmond was launched after a number of women came forward with allegations of sexual harassment.

But a successful judicial review by Salmond resulted in the investigation being ruled unlawful and "tainted by apparent bias", with a £512,250 payout being awarded to him for legal fees.

Salmond was later acquitted of 13 charges following a criminal trial.

The parliamentary inquiry was established to find out what went wrong in the Scottish Government's investigation and to learn lessons for the future.

A separate inquiry into whether the First Minister broke the ministerial code is ongoing. She denies doing so.