Alex Salmond's widow to push ahead with suing Scottish Government

Moira has reportedly appointed a KC, two junior counsel and a lead investigator to pursue the case.

The Sunday Mail said criticism of Mr Salmond in Nicola Sturgeon's new memoir had strengthened her resolve.

A family friend told the paper: "Moira is upset and angered by the continued attempts to smear Alex in the book – much of which is ridiculous and inaccurate. It has only strengthened her resolve to make sure that the full truth comes out and that Alex’s name is cleared.”

They added: “Her case against the Scottish Government is now live, the legal team is in place, the finance in place and this will be going ahead, no question of that. Alex may not be here to defend himself but his family are determined to stand up to those who continue to attack him.

“There is an adjustment period ongoing until September where updates can be made by either side to their paperwork, it takes time but the ball is rolling. Anyone who thinks this is just going to go away is wrong.”

Mr Salmond was in the process of suing the Scottish Government over its botched handling of sexual harassment claims made against him when he died last year.

In November 2023, he warned a “day of reckoning” was coming and named Nicola Sturgeon and ex-permanent secretary Leslie Evans in the case, accusing both of “misfeasance”, or the wrongful exercise of lawful authority.

In her memoir, Ms Sturgeon dismissed claims of a “conspiracy” against her predecessor.

“Right up to the moment he died, Alex was accusing me, and others, or being part of a conspiracy against him,” she wrote. “He was trying to rewrite history; to supplant the truth with an alternative reality. I cannot let that stand unchallenged.”

Mr Salmond was cleared of multiple sexual assault charges following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in 2020. He previously won a legal case against the Scottish Government over its handling of complaints against him.

However, Ms Sturgeon said a picture had emerged during Mr Salmond’s trial “of behaviour towards women that, on occasion, had been inappropriate”, and said she felt “he would have rather destroyed the SNP than see it succeed without him”.

Ms Sturgeon wrote: “Alex’s claims of conspiracy and betrayal were the cries of a man who was not prepared to look honestly at himself in the mirror, and that is why, ultimately, my greatest regret might be for him. He died without reckoning with himself.”

Moira, 88, previously spoke out about attacks on her late husband. "Attacks by the living on the dead will seem to many as deeply unfair,” she said in a statement in January. “My wish, and sincere hope, is that these attacks will now stop.

"I am therefore asking those involved to recognise that all they are doing is causing hurt and pain to his family. From this point on, please let Alex rest in peace."