[hibeejim21]

She explained the Aberdein situation/meeting yesterday. You either believe it or disbelieve it and I believe it based on the way she presented her account of it and the genuine way she covered the details of it - she didn't come over as a blatant liar in any manner or form - it is as simple as that! However, that doesn't mean her version of events was always totally watertight or even (at times) plausible BUT SHE DID OK, ITEM BY ITEM, UNDER THESE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. I can't get inside her head to decipher her memory re a brief rapidly arranged meeting at Holyrood with Jeff Aberdein on 29 March 2019 during a busy day of lotsa meetings and neither can you. Therefore it comes down to either being speculative about it or go along with her account which was that, in fact, she could vaguely recall this brief meeting but it was a prelude to the bigger one with Ecky on 2 April which she vividly remembers due to the enormity of the issue and the political ramifications that would likely ensue. IMO this is an element of all the "he said-she said assertions" that remain from Nicola's day long interview. At the end of the eight hours in the "hot seat", she was able to look the online electorate in the eye and assert that despite all the criticism thrown its way, Scottish democracy does actually work. The committee used Scotland Act powers to demand the legal advice after the SNP's political rivals worked together to create the threat of a no confidence vote. Hence the Scot Parliament managed to check the Scot Govt. For me, the official finger of blame should be pointed at the woman who should've resigned some months ago - BouncingHibees No 1 target Leslie Evans (The Permanent Secretary). But note that contrary to ritchie's comment in thread #548 that "..... Nicola made it clear that any such fault could not be laid at her door.....", she actually commented at about 4.20pm yesterday that she ultimately bore the responsibility as she was effectively the "Head of the Dept/Govt" and the "buck stops at her door". She subsequently apologised re the failure of the judicial process etc etc plus the failure of the process to the women complainants - not quite the "it wisnae me ..." scenario (note she never condemned Evans or any other CS/CO party eg Hardie worthy of blame during her 8 hours of scrutiny!!!!) - REMEMBER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN EXISTENTIAL ISSUE POLITICALLY AND IT WAS A SERIOUS ONE!!! Lets be candid re this whole situation - it's been a long, horrible exhausting process and dare I say it - IT MIGHT ALMOST BE OVER AND ABOUT TIME TOO!!!!! And btw not quite the stuff of Banana Republics and for most of the general public that is enough. Also it is time for the SNP (if it has any sense!) to quickly "get its house in order" before the start of the campaign for the Scot election in May and "push on positively" off the back end of a huge positive public response to the FM following all this desperate Unionist/RW media bullshit that has dragged on since the middle of last week!!

No she did not. Nor did she refute anything, just said alternative explanations existed for Gov and CS actions and consequent events without ever detailing what those alternatives were. Then carried on attacking Salmond, even having the nerve to imply that he was guilty in spite of the courts verdict.

Tell you what though, she can easily get round the whole he said/she said stuff by simply releasing Aberdein’s written submission and email/diary evidence and hey presto anything about hearsay goes bye-bye. Also just as relevantly the suppressed correspondence between Aberdein and Sue Ruddick and Liz Lloyd, Sturgeon’s Chief of Staff and very probably the leaker to the papers. But no - all suppressed to the committee.

So instead look at the original and redacted versions of Salmond’s submission. Note the differences. 5 redactions, all concerning the same meeting. Find Geoff Aberdein’s evidence at Salmond’s trial and what you’ll find is that Sturgeon most definitely lied to Parliament. And we’re not talking mixing up a couple of dates either.

And if you still don't want to believe anything untoward happened and you don’t mind a bit of lying and cheating, the only other possible conclusion you’re going to reach is that Sturgeon has been treated like a complete xxxx idiot by her aides and the Civil Service.