A TOP Government official has admitted to receiving a “win the war” text from the head of the civil service the day Alex Salmond won a legal case against the Scottish Government – after telling MSPs on oath she did not get it.
Barbara Allison, the Scottish Government’s director of communications, told a Holyrood probe last month she did not receive the message from Leslie Evans after being quizzed by Labour’s Jackie Baillie.
However, a search by the Crown Office relating to material gathered for the former First Minister’s trial this Spring found Allison had indeed received it while on holiday in the Maldives.
The search found the message was sent to her by Evans on 8 January 2019 – the day Salmond won his judicial review against the government.
The message and reply read: “L Evans: ‘Thanks Barbara – battle maybe lost but not the war. Hope you are having lovely l well deserved break. L’
“B Allison: ‘Thanks Leslie. It is lovely here. My mind and thoughts are with you all there tho. Best wishes. Bx”
READ MORE: Sturgeon aide held 'secret meetings' with Salmond complainer in November 2017
Salmond supporters believe there was a conspiracy to stop Salmond returning to front line politics and believe the “win the war” message points to a plot. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has described such claims as a “heap of nonsense”.
Allison’s letter to the Holyrood probe was published yesterday ahead of her second appearance before the committee.
Yesterday she told MSPs she believed the text message she got from Evans referred to Salmond’s successful legal challenge.
A judicial review ruled that a government investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by the former First Minister was “unlawful” and tainted by apparent bias.
Salmond was awarded £512,000 of public money in legal costs as a result of the Court of Session’s decision.
On January 24, 2019 the former First Minister appeared in court charged with a series of sexual offences.
In his subsequent trial, he was found not guilty of 12 charges of attempted rape, sexual assault and indecent assault. The jury also came to the uniquely Scottish verdict of not proven on one charge of sexual assault with intent to rape.
Giving evidence to a Holyrood committee set up to examine the government’s botched internal investigation, Allison said she interpreted the “battle” reference as relating to Alex Salmond’s judicial review.
READ MORE: Flawed harassment policy used against Alex Salmond still exists, official admits
She sidestepped questions about what she understood “the war” meant, but pointed to Evans’s evidence where she claimed it referred to equality and staff being heard.
Allison, who is the government’s director for communications and ministerial support, also revealed she has since deleted the messages between her and Evans.
“I don’t routinely keep all my texts,” Allison said: “I will clean out texts, so yes I must have deleted some texts.”
Evans denied being “at war” with Salmond when she previously gave evidence and claimed the text message from her was “misinterpreted”.
Scotland’s most senior civil servant insisted she had not been “referring to any individual” in the message.
The inquiry continues.
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