“Watch the birdie!” That ancient admonition of photographers unexpectedly took on new life earlier this week when Peter Murrell, chief executive of the Scottish National Party and consort of President for Life Sturgeon, gave his virtual evidence (the term has never been more apt) to the inquiry into the Scottish government’s mishandling of the sexual offence charges against Alex Salmond.
Murrell was under interrogation via Zoom, on Monday, by the Holyrood Salmond inquiry, in the hope of clarifying certain inconsistencies in his earlier evidence. That hope was quickly dashed. Murrell version one had simply claimed he was not at his Glasgow home on 2 April, 2018 when Alex Salmond met the First Minister. Like Macavity, Murrell wasn’t there.
