Nicola Sturgeon accused of trashing Scotland’s reputation to ‘save her own skin’ amid war with Alex Salmond

NICOLA Sturgeon was yesterday accused of a cover-up and trashing Scotland’s reputation to “save her own skin” amid her war with Alex Salmond.

Former SNP boss Mr Salmond will today give evidence in the Scottish Parliament into its handling of accusations against him.

Tory Holyrood leader Ruth Davidson said there was a “culture of secrets and cover-ups” over the harassments affair — with it “all taking place on Nicola Sturgeon’s watch”.

SNP leader Ms Sturgeon blasted her opponent for buying into a “conspiracy theory”.

She accused opposition party leaders of sacrificing “all of that on the altar of the ego of one man” – Mr Salmond.

But the First Minister was further quizzed by Labour and the Lib Dems on whether, early on in the process, the identity of a complainer was revealed to Mr Salmond’s former chief of staff – an accusation she denied.

The controversy over Mr Salmond’s censored evidence and his claims of a high-level Nats plot to get him thrown in jail dominated fiery exchanges at First Minister’s Questions.

It comes amid a row over the decision to redact a section of Mr Salmond’s long-awaited evidence to the Holyrood committee.

In it, he accuses Ms Sturgeon of lying to parliament and breaking the ministerial code.