Yousaf accuses Salmond of abusing power in office

Former First Minister Humza Yousaf has accused his predecessor Alex Salmond of abusing his powerfulness portion successful office.

Mr Salmond, who was cleared of allegations of intersexual impropriety successful the High Court successful 2020, said helium had a "sleepy cuddle" with 1 complainer successful his authoritative residence.

In a caller BBC documentary, concerns are besides raised astir Mr Salmond's temper, with 1 erstwhile workfellow saying she was brought to tears.

Mr Salmond has accused high-ranking members of the authorities led by his protégé, Nicola Sturgeon, of conspiring against him - thing she dismissed arsenic "absurd".

Mr Salmond led the authorities betwixt 2007 and 2014, with Ms Sturgeon succeeding him.

Their narration broke down pursuing complaints astir his conduct, some to Scottish authorities officials and to the police.

Mr Salmond successfully took civilian ineligible enactment against Ms Sturgeon's medication for its handling of an interior probe - ruled to beryllium "tainted with evident bias" - and was awarded £500,000.

At the consequent transgression trial, Mr Salmond admitted to having a "sleepy cuddle" with 1 complainer and what his defence lawyer called "a spot of how's your father" with another.

Both members of unit were considerably younger than the ex-first minister.

Mr Yousaf, who replaced Ms Sturgeon aft she unexpectedly resigned past year, told the BBC documentary that the archetypal curate is ordinarily the astir almighty idiosyncratic successful the room.

“You tin take to usage that powerfulness appropriately oregon you tin take to maltreatment it," the erstwhile SNP person said.

"And connected excessively galore occasions, fixed the behaviour that Alex has already admitted, determination was excessively galore instances of that maltreatment of power.”

He besides said the civilian tribunal decision made the authorities look "incompetent".

Mr Salmond said helium regretted that helium nary longer spoke to Ms Sturgeon.

"I don't truly bash wounded feelings precise overmuch ... but it's a large regret that Nicola and I are nary longer connected speaking terms," helium said. "And I earnestly uncertainty if it's going to improve."

The ex-SNP person added: "Now that's a large pity, due to the fact that I did bespeak that you shouldn't accidental thing is forever, but that's the mode it looks and that's conscionable the mode it's going to be.

"We'll conscionable person to fto the past instrumentality attraction of itself."

A Holyrood enquiry into the government's handling of complaints against Mr Salmond recovered Ms Sturgeon had misled MSPs implicit a gathering with her predecessor successful her location successful 2018, but cleared her of breaching the ministerial code.

In 2021, Mr Salmond launched the Alba Party. It has been highly captious of Ms Sturgeon, Mr Yousaf and existent archetypal curate John Swinney.

Ms Sturgeon said Mr Salmond was "for a agelong time, a precise affirmative unit successful my life", adding: "But I deliberation I had to larn however to beryllium myself.”

Mr Salmond described himself arsenic a "tough taskmaster" erstwhile helium was successful complaint of the government.

Ms Sturgeon said her predecessor was prone to "outbursts" and that his temper "was retired of control" astatine times.

She said portion radical successful the SNP had “learned to enactment up with” it, she suggested it was not “actually ever acceptable” erstwhile successful government.

Former SNP MSP Linda Fabiani told the documentary: "Alec would fto rip.

"The archetypal clip it happened to maine I was truthful shocked, a small spot tearful connected the mode home.”

She said she did not see it bullying.

Mr Salmond's erstwhile advisor Geoff Aberdein said helium was sacked 7 times. “For immoderate crushed he’d ever expect to spot maine the adjacent day," helium added.

Mr Aberdein besides said that his erstwhile brag was “very, precise angry” astir losing his Westminster spot successful 2017, believing helium had been "let down" by the party.

Following the predetermination defeat, Mr Salmond launched a amusement connected Russian authorities broadcaster RT.

Ms Sturgeon said her erstwhile mentor knew however hard the occupation was, adding: "Shouldn’t helium person tried a spot harder to marque definite that managing his ego wasn’t 1 of the problems that landed connected my desk?”

Liz Lloyd, Ms Sturgeon's ex-chief of staff, told the documentary: "It was a existent motion that helium didn’t truly attraction however helium was perceived immoderate more.

"He was going to bash what served him and not what served the party, not what served the country.”

Mr Salmond, who suspended his RT amusement successful 2022 pursuing Russia's penetration of Ukraine, said his successor had been "annoyed" due to the fact that she had not been told astir the amusement earlier it launched.

He added: "I wasn’t a subordinate of parliament. The simplest happening to accidental was Alec makes his choices, I marque mine, afloat stop.”

Salmond and Sturgeon - A Troubled Union volition beryllium disposable connected BBC iPlayer from Tuesday, arsenic good arsenic being broadcast connected the BBC Scotland transmission connected Tuesday and Wednesday.