Nicola Sturgeon banned from Alex Salmond’s funeral after infamous fall-out

SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Sources say there's 'not a chance in hell' of Alex Salmond's former ally being invited to any celebrations of his life.

Nicola Sturgeon has been barred from Alex Salmond’s funeral and memorial plans, the Sunday Mail can reveal.

The former first minister won’t be invited to attend the service for her predecessor or any other subsequent celebrations of his life.

Senior sources close to the late Alba Party leader said there was “not a chance in hell” of Sturgeon being on the guest list after the pair publicly fell out six years ago.

Salmond, 69, died last Saturday after suffering a heart attack in the city of Ohrid in North Macedonia, where he was attending a ­conference.

It is understood funeral plans are being arranged for the end of the month with an intimate service due to take place close to Salmond’s home in Aberdeenshire.

A source said: “It will be a very small private service with only family attending.

“There will be a larger memorial celebration later in the year, or possibly into January, for Alex’s supporters, friends and old colleagues.

“Nicola Sturgeon won’t be invited to either of them. Not a chance in hell.”

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Friends of Sturgeon have told the Sunday Mail the former first minister has been left “devastated” by the loss of her former ally.

One senior SNP source said: “It’s been a lot for Nicola and I think she doesn’t know what to feel.

“She’s completely devastated by Alex’s death. Even though they had clearly fallen out of favour with one another, he was a huge part of her life for a long time.

“His death came as a complete shock to us all.”

Salmond and Sturgeon fell out after allegations of sexual ­harassment were made against him in January 2018.

Two female civil servants made the complaints after Sturgeon, then first minister, ordered new Scottish Government policies on sexual harassment to be implemented in the wake of the the #MeToo scandal.

Salmond denied any wrongdoing and later claimed ­Sturgeon’s new policies were designed to target him.

He took the ­Scottish Government to court over its handling of their internal investigation into the complaints and won. Its lawyers admitted at the Court of Session that a senior employee overseeing the probe had already spoken to two complainants before it began.

The process was found to have been unlawful and “tainted by apparent bias” with the Scottish Government ordered to pay Salmond’s £512,000 legal fees.

Salmond also accused people close to Sturgeon, including her husband Peter Murrell and aide Liz Lloyd, of ­plotting against him and claimed there was a conspiracy in government to “banish him” from public life.

He accused Sturgeon of breaking the ministerial code after she told a parliamentary inquiry she had learned of the sexual misconduct allegations in April 2018, which she later said she had discussed on March 29 with Salmond’s aide Geoff Aberdein but had forgotten about.

An inquiry cleared Sturgeon of breaking the ministerial code.

Salmond was arrested in January 2019 and charged with 14 counts of sexual assault. One was dropped and he was acquitted of 12 other charges of attempted rape, sexual assault and indecent assault. A charge of sexual assault with intent to rape was found not proven.

Alba Party sources yesterday said a public memorial for their leader could take place on a ­prominent date such as Burns Night on January 25.

Independence campaigners are planning a vigil on Andrew’s Day on November 30. St Giles’ ­Cathedral in Edinburgh has been suggested as a possible venue.

It comes days after Salmond’s body was repatriated to Scotland, arriving in a Saltire-draped coffin on Friday afternoon.

His wife Moira, sister Gail and acting Alba Party leader Kenny MacAskill were at Aberdeen Airport to greet the coffin while a piper played Freedom Come All Ye as it was transported from the plane.

Businessman Sir Tom Hunter paid for Salmond’s body to be returned home while several others also offered to help.

Alba Party general secretary Christopher McEleny said: “Lots of private individuals with means approached offering to help.

“Out of respect I won’t name them all but one I will mention is Loganair.

“They contacted us to say they were standing ready with a flight and would fully staff it and fly over and said as a Scottish airline they would feel privileged to do that.

“I thought this was really ­impressive, that as a Scottish airline they were duty bound to help and said they would fly straight there and take him home.”

McEleny, who spent most of last week in North Macedonia having travelled there immediately on finding out Salmond had died, revealed that the former SNP leader had previously joked about his death.

He said: “He did once tell me that he thought the best day to die was a Saturday and particularly during parliamentary recess, because it meant you’d get a good showing in all the papers the next day and for weeks afterwards. He was planning 10 steps ahead always and this is just another example.”

While his party leader is gone, McEleny said Alba members remained committed to continuing Salmond’s plans for independence.

He said: “We’re working now towards the next elections. There is still a lot to be sorted and discussed, and none of that will happen until Alex is laid to rest. But we’re not giving up.”

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