NICOLA Sturgeon rejected Tory MP David Davis’s “suggestions and insinuations” about the Scottish Government’s handling of complaints against former First Minister Alex Salmond during this afternoon’s coronavirus briefing.

Last night in the Commons Davis used an adjournment debate and parliamentary privilege to make a series of claims about evidence he said was provided by an anonymous whistleblower.

Davis said of the whistleblower: “He or she starts their communication with the assertion that the evidence provided, and I quote, points to collusion, perjury, up to criminal conspiracy.”

READ MORE: Tory MP uses parliamentary privilege to attack SNP over Alex Salmond case

He added: “No single sequence of texts is going to provide conclusive proof of what the whistleblower describes as a criminal conspiracy, but it does show a very strong prima facie case which demands further serious investigation, by which I mean at the very least a thorough review of all the emails and other electronic records of the relevant personnel at all the relevant times.

“For example these texts show a concerted effort by senior members of the SNP to encourage complaints. The messages suggest that SNP chief executive Peter Murrell co-ordinated [Sue] Ruddick and Ian McCann, the SNP’s compliance officer, in the handling of specific complainants.”

Last night a spokesman for the First Minister dismissed the comments. They said: "As with Mr Salmond's previous claims and cherry picking of messages, the reality is very different to the picture being presented.

"Every message involving SNP staff has been seen by the committee previously. Their views have been widely reported as dismissive of them."

Sturgeon was asked about the MP’s Commons claims during her coronavirus briefing today.

“Other journalists can take note of this as well, because this is the only comment I’m going to make over the course of this Covid briefing. Any other questions can be directed in other ways.

“Other than to say I refute – strongly refute – the suggestions and insinuations from David Davis in the House of Commons last night, I am not going to have this Covid briefing side tracked by the latest instalment in Alex Salmond’s conspiracy theory and that’s just how it is today.

READ MORE: David Davis SNP allegations: John Swinney addresses MP's speech in Commons

“I have given eight hours of evidence to the parliamentary committee looking into this. They are now able to assess all of the evidence they’ve taken, including I’m sure the evidence they have in relation to the suggestions and claims made by David Davis last night.

“They have a job of work to do now. I’m going to allow them to do that job of work and in the mean time I’m going to get on with my job which for the moment is leading this Covid briefing because I’m pretty sure most of the people watching right now want to hear about the Covid situation.

“So I’ll make that comment and that is all I am saying in the course of this briefing.”